In The Darkness, I Will Guide You
by silverliningineachcloud
Summary: DEO Agent Alex Danvers did not expect to find a 13-year-old girl in what was supposed to be a precautionary lab raid. Especially not a half-dead Kryptonian 13-year-old girl. An AU in which Kara lands on earth 10 years later and is not found first by Superman. Features the development of a sister relationship between Alex and Kara, rated T for swearing, violence, torture/abuse.
1. The Girl in the Pod

DEO Agent Alex Danvers did not expect to find a 13-year-old girl in what was supposed to be a precautionary lab raid. Especially not a half-dead Kryptonian 13-year-old girl.

An AU in which Kara lands on earth 10 years later and is not found first by Superman.

 ** _Hello! This is my first Supergirl fanfiction – I'm super excited! My favorite aspect of the show is the caring sister one, so I'll probably be playing on that with lots of hurt/comfort and hopefully some action and adventure as well!_**

 ** _In this story, Kara lands when Alex is already grown up and a DEO agent, and the Kryptonian girl is not found by her cousin – quite the opposite actually._**

 ** _The rest of what happens… You'll just have to read and see!_**

 ** _Rated T for swearing, torture/abuse, violence. Is it too dark?_**

 ** _I LOVE meeting new bases of reviewers and readers so please leave a review and let me know what you think!_**

 ** _Disclaimer: I don't own anything. I just like to play._**

* * *

Putting down the phone, Alex Danvers reflected on the fact that she was not particularly pleased to have just received a mission on Thanksgiving Day.

It had been a horrible couple of months since the crashing of Fort Rozz on Earth. Aliens had been popping up all over the place, wrecking havoc, and Alex had been looking forward to a quiet dinner where the only thing that could kill her was an overdoes of food and her mom's continuous questions about her job in a lab that didn't exist.

Slowly she walked back to the table that sat in the center of her small apartment, pausing in the doorway to watch her mother avidly cutting the roast bird. As she absentmindedly rubbed her arm, Alex contemplated how to break the news. She had about ten minutes to get into work and out on the mission, leaving her about another thirty seconds to explain the situation.

"Mom."

Eliza Danver's head shot up, eyes instantly filling with rather regretful understanding.

"You have to go into the lab, don't you?" It wasn't a question.

"Yeah. It's an emergency," Alex grimaced. This time she wasn't lying – the mission was a lab raid, so technically a lab, and it was an emergency. They had just received sudden intel that the lab they had been keeping tabs on for suspected alien chemical manufacturing was going to abandon site, possibly having found out they were being watched. If they wanted to figure out whatever was going on in there, they had to move fast.

"Do good work," Eliza gave a half smile as Alex moved around the room gathering her things.

"Always." Alex returned half a smile back and slid out of the apartment.

Between their two half-smiles, they at least had one full Thanksgiving smile. It would have to be good enough.

xoxoxo

* * *

Everything hurt.

Numbly, the girl tried to reposition her body to place less pressure on her aching limbs, but the movement only introduced new spikes of pain.

Dropping her head, she resigned herself to the fact that there was no escape from the increasing misery that had been her life ever since she had been torn out of her pod. That day had been the one and only time she had seen this planet's bright sun.

Somewhere, she knew, her baby cousin was on this same planet, and she continued to cling to the hope that maybe, somehow, he had landed somewhere else and avoided the capture she had fallen into. She had not yet seen his little face anywhere in the lab when she was taken in and out of her cell for _testing_ , as they liked to call it.

Closing her eyes, the girl could still see the green glow of the bracelets that clamped around her wrists and ankles. The sickly green followed her everywhere.

"Wake up." A hard boot kicked her in the side.

Face blank, the girl pulled herself to her feet, allowing the large man to grab her glowing wrists. She never knew when they were going to come for her, sometimes it seemed like days and days she would be alone. Other times it seemed like they were back for her every hour.

Usually this was the point when she allowed her mind to wander, as she was led into a testing room or whatever they had planned for her that day, but the urgency with which the man dragged her forward this time was unusual.

"Come on!" he yanked her roughly, ignoring her small cry of pain. They were practically running, but her legs just couldn't keep up and she crashed down to the ground, only to be wrenched painfully back up.

All around, scientists and guards were racing around frantically, pushing testing equipment, carrying boxes…

"There it is!"

They referred to her as "it".

"I'm going to increase the Kryptonite levels for transport, the subject is our priority, I want it transported _now_!"

The girl found herself being delivered into the arms of the head scientist and immediately he was fiddling with her bracelets. They beeped and the girl gasped as she dropped to the ground, what little energy she had draining out of her body.

Helpless to resist, she was laid in a pod, somewhat similar to the one she had arrived on this hellish planet in, just as an explosion rocked the building.

The lights flickered and then went out.

There was swearing and the pod lid was banged closed, leaving the girl alone and trapped.

As gunfire and screaming filled the air, muffled by the pod, the girl closed her eyes and hoped, as she had many times, that somehow this was all just a nightmare and soon she would be waking up in her bed on Krypton.

The noise was only getting louder, and closer. The pod rocked and an explosion filled her ears something hit the metal encasing her.

And then suddenly it was quiet.

There was a hiss as the pod opened and light flooded into her eyes.

Faintly the girl could see a woman's surprised face. She wasn't a scientist – she wasn't anybody the girl had ever seen before. Somewhat in a daze, the girl watched the woman's face morph into a look of horror. Her lips were moving but she couldn't here anything anymore, couldn't focus on anything except the pain and exhaustion that was steadily growing.

Somehow she realized the woman was trying to comfort her, telling her should would be okay, and made out one thing she was saying – _"What is your name?"_

"Kara Zor-El," she managed to respond before welcoming the soft escape of black unconsciousness.

* * *

The lab raid was quickly going to shit. What was supposed to be a quick raid had turned into a full out fire-fight, with bullets flying through the air like rain.

Alex dove into a nearby room, flipping the table for makeshift cover, barking orders at the other agents.

One thing she knew for sure – this sure as hell wasn't just a pharmaceutical lab. They had been right to move in, catching the lab before it dismantled. However, they hadn't been expecting the amount of firearms that were defending the operation.

Expecting something and being prepared, however, were two different things. And Alex Danvers was nothing if not prepared, as was her team. Caught by surprise, their advance had faltered initially, but having regrouped, she knew they would soon be in control of the facility.

"Top right quadrant secured," a voice affirmed in her ear.

"Bottom right quadrant secured."

"Top left quadrant in process of securement."

That left her and her team, which had been assigned the hardest sector.

Alex took a deep breath, grabbed her gun, and continued forward. Taking a room to the left, she quickly neutralized some of the guards, before pulling her body back out of sight around the corner.

"Put your hands up and surrender!" she shouted into the room. Three figures in white were flocked around what seemed to be a large metal container.

"We have a possible weapon in our quadrant, maybe a bomb, could contain alien material, it looks like large metal pod. There are three scientists with it," she reported into her headpiece, motioning to her fellow agents to move forward and check the remaining section of their sector. This pod could be the entire reason for this facility.

"Neutralize the situation and do not tamper with the weapon," her orders came back in her ear.

"I said, put your hands up and surrender!" Alex swung into the doorway, firing some strategic bullets, one hitting a scientist in the shoulder.

"What the hell is in there?" one of Alex's agents muttered, raising his gun.

"Don't shoot near it!" Alex warned, but it was too late. One of the bullets went wide of its target and ricocheted off the metal surface and hitting one of the scientists. His scream filled the air as he fell to ground, and Alex took advantage of the distraction to quickly to secure the remainder of the room.

As these situations so often progressed, the sudden silence in the room from the absence of gunfire was deafening.

"We're secure," she panted into her headpiece, moving towards the metal pod. "I'm examining the weapon."

She moved forward, carefully looking over the metal pod.  
"It seems to be some type of tube created for some type of life form, with ventilation…" she observed, brow creasing, fingers brushing over the buttons on the lid. Her attention was drawn to a small monitor, showing several levels, one of which that seemed to be… a _heart rate?_ The soft beeps were dangerously far apart.

"I think there's something inside of it," Alex breathed. Suddenly her own heart was pounding.

"Agent Danvers, do _not_ engage."

"It's too small to be any form we know…" Alex murmured. Suddenly alarms started going off and Alex saw that the spikes on the monitor were slowing even further. "I think its heart rate is crashing!"

"Do _not engage!_ We don't know what's in there!"

Alex ripped the earpiece out and pried the lid off.

Instantly she froze. Staring at her were two very blue eyes.

They belonged to a young girl who didn't look much older than twelve or thirteen.

" _Oh my god."_ Alex was instantly calling for help, while at the same time trying to figure out what was wrong with the girl. Her skin was sickly pale and the girl was so so thin, her face was bruised and hair matted. Alex could see that the blue eyes were unfocused, she didn't know if there were further injuries that weren't visible.

"Hey, you're going to be okay, hey it's going to be okay." Alex tried to comfort the girl, frantically trying to figure out how she could help her, but she didn't even think the girl could hear her, didn't even know if she was fully conscious. Her gaze fell on the strange glowing green bracelets encircling the girl's wrists, like manacles.

"Hey, hold on, it's going to be okay, you're going to be okay sweetie. What's your name?"

The girl's eyes slowly found hers.

"Kara Zor-El."

And then the girl passed out.

* * *

 ** _Oh my gosh I have no idea what I'm doing..._**

 ** _Leave a review and tell me if you think I should continue and what you think should happen!_**

 ** _~silverlining_**


	2. Heart Monitoring

**_Oh my goodness! Thank you for the amazing response, everyone! You all = amazing. So many followers. I see you out there :)_**

 ** _THE RESPONSE HAS BEEN AMAZING! I am completely inspired to continue this into an awesome lengthy story. I only hope it will live up to your standards. Keep the advice and thoughts in reviews flowing!_**

Important note! I've actually only seen part of season 1. And I'm already addicted. I just don't have a lot of time to watch because I'm live a crazy college lifestyle where I'm lucky when I get to sleep enough.

 ** _I have some questions... Should I make a poll?_**

 ** _Here are a couple: Should Winn be a friend Kara's age? How could I bring Cat into the story? Carter could be Kara's age... SPOILER: (Should Hank be J'onn or should he be crazy alien hating actual Hank? Since in this universe anything could have happened and Jonn could still be out there)_**

 ** _How should Astra respond? SO MANY QUESTIONS from a Supergirl noob. Basically - I came up with a crazy AU world and I'm not sure how all the pieces would best fit together. But I'm hella excited to explore it with you all :)_**

 ** _Another special thanks to reviewers - your words are so encouraging and the continuation of this story is dedicated to you all! YOU ARE AWESOME_**

 ** _Hmm… what will happen next…_**

 ** _I have been told that it would be a crime against humanity if I didn't continue. So I guess the story goes on!_**

 ** _Send me a note and tell me what you think!_**

 ** _Disclaimer: I don't own Supergirl and her universe in any way. That would be some other person who probably doesn't eat plain pasta every day_**

* * *

"What the hell is she?"

Alex ignored the question from her boss, her gaze focused on the girl as the paramedics lifted her onto a stretcher. She followed after them as they began moving towards the DEO medical vehicle.

"We need to take these bracelets off," a paramedic barked. "Does anyone know what chemical is in these things?"

"Don't tamper with them until we know what they are."

"She's not going to make it unless we can get her heart rate back up!"

"We're transporting the detained scientists for interrogation," another agent reported.

"For heavens sake, secure that girl!"

The girl disappeared in a crowd of agents and medics.

Alex found herself jogging after them, as if a magnet were connecting her to the stretcher, pulling her after it almost against her own will.

She wasn't exactly sure what happened, but somehow she found herself sitting in the back of the ambulance-like vehicle as it lurched into motion.

In the bright florescent light, the girl looked even tinier. Her thin limbs were covered by something that almost represented a jumpsuit, the gray fabric dirty and stained. She could see now in the stark light how dark the circles under the girl's closed eyes were, the purple color collaged across the other exposed areas of skin in sickly bruises.

Alex leaned forward slightly, examining her as medics flitted around, sliding in tubes and needles, a heart monitor screeching.

"Who are you?" she murmured.

 _"What's your name?"_

 _"Kara Zor-El."_

Alex's eyes fell back on the glowing green metal bands.

For a moment she froze, putting the pieces together.

And then she was flying forward, examining the bracelets, working to get them off.

A paramedic pushed her away. "What the hell? We are trying to help this girl's heart keep going! We will throw you out of this bus!"

Alex pushed him right back, moving back to the girl's side. "It's Kryptonite and she's a Kryptonian."

"She… she's what?! Like Superman?!"

They were trying to pull her away again. Alex fought against them; breaking free and attacking the manacles that she knew now were coursing with poison.

"Just trust me on this. If we don't get these bracelets off, her heart is not going to have the strength to keep beating."

They weren't coming off.

Alex felt her heart rate rise as the girl's fell further and further.

She had so many questions.  
Where did this girl, Kara Zor-El, come from? How did she get here? Why was she only showing up right now?

But one question dominated as she tried to free the girl from the poison that was slowly and surely draining her strength away. It was the question fueled by the observation that the girl's wrists around the metal were scarred and rubbed raw again, showing the metal had been in place a long time, the same question that came as she glanced over the thin arms that were covered in bruises where a needle had been inserted over and over again.

Who would do this to a child?

Her anger fueled the energy she worked at the manacles with, provided the strength that, paired with a tool, pried open and over came the mechanism holding the device together.

"Get this as far away from her as possible." Alex practically threw the offending object at one of the medics.

A couple minutes after the last one had been removed, the girl briefly opened her bright blue eyes.

Once again, they slowly found Alex's face, filled with confusion.

"Hey there." Alex tried to smile, tried to mask the rage that was silently and irrationally coursing through her. "Hello Kara. You're going to be okay."

The girl's brow creased slightly, as if she were trying to make sense of what those words even meant. One trembling hand went to the oxygen mask over her face.

"Hey, I know it's confusing, but leave that there, it's helping you," Alex gently took the girl's hand so that she wouldn't remove the mask.

The girl's eyes began to fall shut again, but Alex felt a faint squeeze and realized the girl was holding onto her hand with all her strength.

* * *

"I want to know everything. I want to know how she got here, what she's doing here, how she was found, _everything_."

Alex Danvers stared blearily at her boss as he raged back and forth across the room. The briefing room was pretty much the last place she wanted to be. Not with a 13-year-old alien in the basement and her mother at her apartment.

"We have profiles on the three captured scientists," another agent pulled up the images of two men and woman onto a screen. "It appears the lab was a spinoff from a genetic research firm."

"How the hell did they find a 13-year-old Kryptonite? And how did they gain access to enough Kryptonite to subdue her?"

The room fell silent at the question.

"Have we contacted Superman?" someone finally ventured to ask.

"Unfortunately, he has not responded. He's on a mission," Director Henshaw scowled. "What's the status on the scientists?"

"Still not talking," another agent answered, walking into the room. "I just got back from the interrogation, nothing. They won't say a word."

"And the research?" Hank Henshaw looked increasingly like he was going to blow a fuse.

"I have agents working through what's left of it right now," Alex spoke up. "Unfortunately, a large portion was digitally destroyed before we could secure it."  
"Are there ways to retrieve it?"

"We're working on it," an agent from the tech department spoke up.

"Work faster." Director Henshaw stood up. "You all know what you need to do. I'm going to need to contact some superiors." And then he was pacing away.

"Wait," Alex jogged after him. "How is she?"

"Who?" Henshaw glanced at her, slowing his pace only slightly.

"The girl. Kara."

"She's going to be fine."

With that, he left.

* * *

When Kara slowly blinked her eyes open, she had no idea where she was.

She wasn't in her cell, which was both reassuring and terrifying.

At least she knew what to expect there.

Slowly sitting up, Kara saw that she was in a small room, barely furnished with a bed, bathroom, and sink.

Well that at least was an upgrade.

As she moved to brush her hair out of her face, Kara realized the glowing bracelets were gone, revealing angry welted and scarred skin on her wrists.

So, overall, definitely better.

Kara allowed herself the slightest bit of hope.

Maybe she had been rescued.

Her mind drifted back to the last moments at the lab. There had been a lot of shouting, and then a woman.

Kara remembered the woman, her short dark, almost red, hair and brown eyes.

Another memory flashed into her mind – in the lit moving room. The woman had been there too. She had taken off the bracelets. She had taken her hand.

It was the first act of kindness Kara had been shown since hugging her mom on Krypton.

Kara had given up crying a long time ago. But suddenly she felt tears prickling the backs of her eyelids.

Suddenly the door opened and Kara shot to her feet.

Three people entered. Two were holding what looked like to be guns.

Kara saw one of the weapons flicker with the all too familiar sickly green and felt her heart sink.

They would hurt her too.

The third was a man with dark skin and a face that looked like it meant business.

"Hello Kara. We're here to help you," the man said.

She didn't know how they knew her name.

The other people had known her name.

They had also said the same thing when they first pulled her out of the pod, said they were going to help her.  
She had quickly learned that they were lying.

In that moment, Kara made a decision. She would not trust them, not any of them. She had no reason to believe that they really were there to help her. She would not say a word to any of them, not one. Kara had learned how to be stubborn over the past couple months. She wouldn't even acknowledge any of them. They would never learn anything about Krypton or her family. These people had only wanted to hurt her, experiment on her. And if they did that to her, they would do that to her cousin if they ever found out about him.

So it was better not to talk.

She would protect Kal-El.

After all, it was what she was sent here to do.

Steeling her nerves and setting her face into a blank stare, Kara turned away from the men in her room.

The only person she would even consider talking to was the woman with the dark hair and eyes who had freed her and held her hand.

But Kara didn't think she would ever see her again.

* * *

 _ **Because Kara definitely will not see Alex again, right?**_

 _ **Sorry this chapter wasn't the most exciting, I wanted to make sure I was laying some groundwork.**_

 _ **Also, this story will be going more into Kara's experience coming to earth. I feel like she would be so confused and scared and wanted to highlight that, along with her resilience. Don't work, we'll get lots of cute sisterly bonding between Alex and Kara later.**_

 ** _Your reviews are life to this poor stressed college student writer._**

 ** _Let me know what you think! :)_**

 ** _~silverlining_**


	3. Shattered Steel

**Hello!**

 **Thanks for the beautiful feedback. I hope you enjoy this chapter! I'm not sure if I like it or not, so I eagerly await to hear what your thoughts are.**

 **Also- thanks for all the advice! It was very helpful. I'm not at that point in the story where I'll be introducing a lot of the other characters, but it will be coming soon! Also, so will more hurt/comfort probs and/or angst because I have an angst problem (as in I like it too much) I'm thinking of tying the lab Kara was found in to CADMUS and they might be back... (cackles). Astra is also likely to make an appearance at somepoint.**

 **SO MANY POSSIBILITIES! Do you have any that I should know?**

 **Of course you do. Send me a review and tell me what you want to see happen! :)**

 **If I owned Supergirl, there would be way more scenes of Kara and Alex hugging. So obviously I do not own Supergirl.**

* * *

Alex managed to wait two hours and thirty-eight minutes before she gave in and poked around until she found where the girl was being held in the labyrinth of the DEO building.

Strictly speaking, she didn't have access or authority to be involved past her assigned task of looking through the data and examining bio samples.

 _I just want to check if she has settled in alright,_ Alex tried to justify her need to see the girl. It was the middle of the night and the hallways were mostly deserted.

That was how she found herself in front of a one-sided window, looking into the room that held the young Kryptonian.

The girl was sitting on the bed, her knees pulled up to her chest, staring at nothing.

Alex knew in that instance that she couldn't leave.

The blank look on the girl's face, _Kara_ , _she has a name, Alex corrected herself_ , hit Alex at her very core. This girl had undergone what nobody should have to experience. Yet here she was, still a child, alone.

Alex knew there had been an attempt to talk to the Kryptonian that had failed completely.

 _"She wouldn't even look at us._ " Alex remembered one of the guard's words.

Kara Zor-El had to be tough. Alex knew she wouldn't be here if she wasn't. She had read over the medical reports. The girl had almost died; there had been enough Kryptonite to subdue Superman. The only reason she wasn't hooked up to an IV was the fact that some of her healing had been restored when they had put her under intensive sunlight simulators. Still, she had to still be in a lot of pain from the abuse suffered in the lab – the healing process was greatly inhibited by the exposure to Kryptonite.

So yes, Kara Zor-El was nothing if not tough. Alex knew that.

But looking at her, curled up on the bed, watching the world with haunted eyes, Alex saw something different. She saw a young girl who desperately needed safety and some assurance that she wasn't alone.

 _"What's your name?"_

 _"Kara Zor-El."_

They were the only words Alex had heard her said, the only words _anyone_ had heard her say, giving a name to the mysterious girl.

But now Alex wanted more than a name. She wanted to know her story and know how she could help the girl who looked so lost.

She wanted to know who Kara Zor-El was.

Almost against her own volition, Alex found herself scanning her hand on the door key and was surprised she had access.

As soon as she stepped in, the girl started to her feet, her posture showing that she was ready to fight. Despite her small size, Alex was impressed with how threatening the girl managed to make herself appear. The vulnerable girl she had observed earlier was nowhere to be seen; defenses were clearly up.

"Hi, sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," Alex said slowly. "I just wanted to check that you were okay."

It was silent as the girl examined her carefully, her blue eyes widening with something like recognition. Still, she did not speak.

"I... I realized I never introduced myself. You told me your name, when I first found you, I don't know if you remember that. I'm Alex. Alex Danvers, but you can just call me Alex."

Again, silence.

Alex somewhat unsettled in the presence of the Kryptonian. It wasn't that she was scared; she knew the walls were laced with just enough Kryptonite to bring the girl to a human level of strength, but even if they weren't, she wouldn't be worried.

No, the reason she felt nervous was the girl's intense stare. It was almost as if she could see right into her soul with those bright blue eyes, even without x-ray vision.

"I'll just…" Alex prepared to leave; certain she was only making the girl feel more scared.

"Alex Danvers."

Alex turned slowly back around.

"I remember you. You helped me."

There was an edge of suspicion to her voice and Alex could understand why. The girl had more or less gone from one cell to another.

Well Alex was determined to change that.

"This all must be so confusing, I can't even imagine," Alex took a step forward. "I know you don't have any reason to trust me, but Kara Zor-El, I'm here to help."

Again, that blank stare.

"Is there anything that we should know about you that could help? Are your parents on this planet also?" Alex asked softly.

Something inside the girl seemed to shift. Almost too subtly to notice, her shoulders slumped slightly.

"No." Her voice rang hollow. "There's nobody."

Alex hesitated. Oh god she was breaking so many protocols, did one more really matter?

She just decided to tell her. "Kara Zor-El, there's another Kryptonian here, on earth."

The girl's eyes flickered up to look at her with interest.

"We're trying to get in contact with him, he'll be here as soon as we get him here," Alex promised. "We're going to figure this out, Kara Zor-El. But I promise you, nobody is going to hurt you here."

The girl examined her with another piercing gaze.

"Kara," she finally said.

"What?" Alex furrowed her brow.

"You can just call me Kara."

Alex smiled.

"Alright, Kara."

For a moment, Kara's face lightened, a hint of a smile playing across her features.

 _"What is going on in here?!"_

Oh crap.

Alex turned to find a very angry Hank Henshaw striding towards her.

* * *

Kara stiffened as the man, who had tried to talk to her earlier, entered the room.

He looked upset. Mostly, he looked upset at the woman, Alex.

It was a situation in which Kara might have acted differently if she had actually taken a moment to think, but she didn't. Instead, she put herself between the human woman and the man without even knowing what she was doing.

She was ready to fight if she had to – Rao knew she had already spent the last couple months doing that.

This human woman, however brief their encounter had been, was the only kindness Kara had received. So she would protect this woman, this Alex Danvers. It didn't exactly make sense but at this point, Kara didn't really have much to lose.

The room fell silent at her action.

"Kara."

There was a touch on her shoulder, gentle but it still made Kara tense. She didn't look back at Alex, only stared evenly at the man with the dark skin and eyes, watching him.

"Kara Zor-El?"

Kara glanced over to find another tall man standing in the doorway. This man had her family emblem on his chest, his clothes red and blue, a cape gracing his shoulders.

"Who are you?" Kara tried to keep her voice from shaking. "How did you get my family's emblem on this planet?"

What did they know? Was this the other Kryptonian Alex Danvers had mentioned? Was this all some test, some trick?

The man took a step forward, his face crumpling into a mixture of sorrow and regret.

"Kara, I am Kal-El."

Kara stared at him.

"No." She shook her head. "No, you can't be. No. How do you know that name? I have not told anybody."

"Your pod was stuck in the phantom zone, many years have passed here," the man took another step forward.

That couldn't be right. Kal-El was a baby. She had to protect him.

Kara's mind betrayed her and she couldn't help but notice the resemblance in the man– the nose that her father had, the piercing eyes that were so dominant in the family.

"No, no, no." She took a step backwards, tangling her hair in her fingers, as if grasping the strands would give her something to hold onto as her world continued to fall apart around her. "No!" Her voice rose.

"They told me, my parents, the holograms that is, that you were supposed to come with me, when I was a baby. But I never found you."

"No… Please." Kara was begging him to stop speaking. Every word was destroying the only purpose she had left. "No, please. Stop."

"Your parents, they told you that under this sun we'd have extraordinary powers, didn't they?" the man slowly rose from the ground, floating in midair.

Her mother had told her that Kryptonians would be able to fly on this planet.

"I'm so sorry, Kara." Kal-El, _oh Rao he was Kal-El,_ landed and stepped forward again, reaching his hand out as if he wanted to comfort her.

He of all people should know that she could not be comforted.

Kara Zor-El sank to the floor, the tears that she had held for so long finally falling from her eyes as her chest heaved with loss that threatened to crush her already broken pieces. She couldn't be brave anymore. She couldn't be strong because she had already used up all her strength.

So Kara broke. She cried for her family, her friends, for her planet, for the pain she had endured on this horrible planet, for the fact that the one strand of direction she had was now cut.

Before she had left Krypton, she had told her father that she wasn't afraid. She had told her mother that she would not fail her or Kal-El.

But she had failed and she was afraid.

Kara Zor-El had nothing.

So when Alex Danvers wrapped her arms around her, Kara held onto her with all that she had.

Alex watched Kara slump to the ground, breaking down, feeling her own chest ache. She couldn't even begin to understand the pain this girl was going through.

She glanced at Superman, who seemed paralyzed by his sorrow and unsure what to do.

This was wrong. So wrong. Somebody had to do _something_. This girl had been strong for far too long under the loss of her planet and torture on this one. The fury that Alex felt was beyond her understanding, so she pushed it aside. This was not the place for anger against those who had hurt Kara.

 _Damn it, she had to do something._

So Alex dropped to the ground beside the Kryptonian and prayed that what she was about to do wouldn't make anything worse. Then Alex gently put her arms around Kara.  
To her surprise, the girl leaned into her touch, and somehow, even though Alex knew she was bulletproof, her shaking body seemed so fragile.

As the small Kryptonian clung to her as if her life depended on it, Alex realized two things: her life was never going to be the same and she did not want to ever let of Kara Zor-El.

* * *

 _ **What do you think?**_

 _ **I wanted a window into what Kara might be feeling - I honestly think she'd be devastated and feel that she has lost everything.**_

 _ **Next chapter: Kara goes home with Alex!**_

 _ **All suggestions, feedback, and thoughts are welcome! Your reviews inspire my next chapter, so take a moment and leave a note!**_


	4. Finding Footing

_Who's the best?_

 _You are!_

 _Seriously, thanks for the beautiful reviews and notes – they are my inspiration. Correction: YOU are my inspiration. Even if you just want to leave a review that says hi, I will read it and I will love it. Moral of this author's note: please review :)_

 _Many people have asked me what the relationship between Kara and Alexi is going to look like – think protective maternal older sister Alex and younger somewhat more traumatized Kara. This relationship will be focused on them as sisters, with Alex taking a slightly more maternal role since Kara is younger. Hopefully that sounds ok?_

 _Also- in this universe, Jeremiah still joined the DEO (figured they would find a different way to coerce him into joining if they really wanted him) and the rest of the events will still be in place, such as Hank being J'onn etc_

 _Not sure how much I want to feature Eliza- any opinions there?_

 _Disclaimer: I still do not own Supergirl, otherwise I would probably be rich and eating gluten free cupcakes every day (if you didn't know, gluten free cupcakes are expensive!)_

* * *

"I will try to be back to see her soon." Superman turned away from the door of the room Kara Zor-El had fallen asleep in.

Alex, who had just stepped out of the room, stared at him.

Had he not seen his cousin just break down and sob herself to sleep?

"You're going to leave her? After all of that?" She couldn't stop the words that fell from her lips, or the accusatory tone they were marinated in.

It wouldn't like her day could get any crazier, might as well accuse Superman while she was at it.

Superman didn't look particularly offended, rather glanced at her with sorrowful eyes.

"My presence right now will not comfort her, only remind her of everything she has lost," he explained. The grown Kryptonian paused and turned to Alex. "That is why I want you to take her home and be her family."

Alex's mouth dropped open.

"Excuse me?" she gaped at him. _Was this some sort of weird Kryptonian ritual, the coming of age leave-your-relative-with-strangers rite of passage?_

"I want her to have a human family, to learn to love this planet and its people, like I was able to. But she will also need protection, especially with the crashing of Fort Rozz. You are qualified to keep her safe and close to the DEO where she can be protected. I will be sending you all the information you need to know."

"Hold on," Alex strode after him, fighting the panic rising up within her. "Why are you choosing me, I have a job, I don't have any experience with kids…"

Superman paused to turn and look at her.

"I did not choose you. My cousin did."

"She… What?" Alex prided herself on her intelligence, but at the moment, she was not following. "She never said…"

"Not with her words but with her actions. When she stepped in front of you to protect you, I could see that she had formed a bond with you." Superman ran a hand through his sleek hair and adjusted his cape.

She could see that he was preparing to leave.

"What about my job, my apartment…" Alex fought the urge to grab onto his cape and demand he rethink what he was saying, to shake him and tell him that she was not prepared, that she didn't know how to take care of a young girl, let alone a traumatized Kryptonian who had lost her whole world.

"Protecting people is already your job, Alex Danvers. You will find your way. The DEO will make sure you are able to get anything you need." Superman gave Hank Henshaw a pointed look. The director slowly nodded.

"And I am always a phone call away," Superman turned back to Alex.

"But…"

And then Superman was gone.

Alex stared at the space he had just been in and slowly turned to look at Hank.

"Looks like we should get you a bigger apartment," the director said slowly.

"That's it? It's just going to happen? I'm going to become the guardian of a 12 year old traumatized Kryptonian?!" Alex strode towards him.

"Agent Danvers, we owe Superman the planet, let alone a favor."

"She's not some _favor_ we're doing him, or a new job task, she's… she's a _child, god damn it!_ "

Director Henshaw was unaffected by her explosion, giving her an even look.

"I am aware. Do you refuse?" he asked calmly.

Alex went silent, her fingers curling in and out of her short her, grasping at the strands.

 _"There's nobody_." Kara's hollow words echoed in her mind and suddenly she remembered how fragile the girl had felt, shaking in her arms. Another image flashed into her mind, the strong glint in Kara's eyes, her small form stepping in front of Alex protectively, so ready to sacrifice herself.

She couldn't refuse, and it wasn't because she wouldn't deny Superman his wishes.

"I want an apartment with two bathrooms, I am not going back to sharing," she said finally, pacing away before she could change her mind.

Out of the corner of her eye, she could have sworn she saw Hank smile.

* * *

"Alex, what on earth has been going on?!"

Alex could already feel a headache forming as she stepped into her apartment.

"I've been calling you non-stop!" Eliza Danvers trailed after her daughter.

"There was an emergency, Mom. I texted you that I wouldn't be back for awhile." Alex needed the world to stop spinning for a couple days so that she could hid in a corner and attempt to regain her sanity.

"Well now that you are back, as you _so nicely texted,_ care to be a bit more specific?!" Eliza was on the verge of an explosion, if the red tinting her cheeks was any indication.

 _Sure Mom, I just became the guardian of a thirteen year old Kryptonian that we found being experimented on in a lab, and now I'm going to move into a house and live with her because Superman asked me to._

"It's hard to explain," Alex pulled out a suitcase. The DEO would collect the rest of her stuff and transport it. "I'm so sorry, Mom, but I have to go really unexpectedly…"

"Bullshit." Eliza Danvers was not taking it. "Tell me what's going on, for God's sake Alex! What on earth could have happened at your lab – are you in trouble? Are you…"

"It's complicated and I really can't talk now," Alex felt her frustration rising as her voice increased in volume, her mom's voice grating on her already frayed nerves.

"I cannot believe you – I have only supported you and your job in the lab and this is how you're going to choose to treat me, wasn't this supposed to be a time for family?! After all that…"

"I don't work in a research lab, Mom!" Alex shouted before she could stop the words.

Eliza froze.

"I…" Alex shifted her weight, looking at the ceiling, around the room. There was no point in holding back now. "I… I lied, okay? I don't work in genetic research, I… I'm an agent. In a government agency, it works with life forms from outside of our planet, and that's already far more than I should have said." She dropped her gaze risk a look at her mother. "I wasn't allowed to tell anyone. But, something's happened, and I am moving."

"The DEO."

"What?" Alex's eyes narrowed. "How… how did you know... how do you even know that name?" She took a step forward towards her mom.

Eliza seemed to be struggling to compose herself, hugging her body as if it would keep her together in one piece.

"I should have known," Eliza whispered. "I should have seen this earlier, should have known they would recruit you too. Alex… Your father worked for them. He died working for them."

"What?!" Alex stared. "Dad died, in the airplane crash, he…"

"Alex." Eliza put her hands on her daughter's shoulders. "I don't know what happened, but they made him work for them, I don't know how, he would never tell me, but they would have done anything to get him, with all his information on Superman. And then he was gone. I know you won't be able to tell me anything, and we've probably spoken too much already, but _be careful_."

Alex let her mother cup her face in her hands, looked into the eyes of the woman who had raised her, and knew she was telling the truth.

"Mom…" she breathed.

"Go, do your job, I understand now. But Alex, promise me that you'll be careful," Eliza whispered.

Alex put her hand over her mother's, confusion converting to determination. _She would find out what had happened to her father._

"I promise."

* * *

Kara Zor-El held herself perfectly still as she sat in the earth transportation machine and examined the planet around her. Everything was so _bright,_ with strange forms and weird block buildings and people walking around outside.

As she watched the world run by her, she could see out of the corner of her eye that Alex Danvers was glancing at her every couple of minutes, biting her lip, looking like she wanted to say something.

"The DEO got us a new house, it's going to be a very safe place." Alex Danvers seemed to finally have found words.

"This is a new home for you too?" Kara glanced at the older woman.

"Yep."

When they had told her that she was going to go home with Agent Alex Danvers, at the request of her cousin, Kara had felt relieved, confused, suspicious, and scared all at once. After some final tests, she had walked out of the lab with Alex and now they were on their way to her new home. Not that Kara knew the meaning of home anymore – except as a place she no longer had.

She was still waiting for this all to be a trick, for them to slap on the bracelets and take her blood and make her run through tests. But they had let her leave. And she had gotten to see the yellow sun of this planet once again, felt strength creep into her bones.  
Part of her, deep down, wanted to trust Alex.

The car, as Alex had told her it was called, pulled up in front of a smaller building, surrounded by green plants and large brown stalks.

"We're here," Alex said, glancing at her.

They sat in silence for a moment.

"Kara." Alex shifted her body in the seat so that she was facing her. "I know… I know this is all so new. I can't even imagine what you're thinking or feeling right now. But hopefully, this will be a place you feel safe, and hopefully we can become friends." Alex gave her a half smile, dark eyes soft. "What are you thinking?" she asked gently.

Kara looked down at her hands and swallowed. Then she looked back at Alex.

"I'm sorry you got stuck with me." They were the only words she could find. Kara believed that Alex Danvers was a good person, she wasn't sure about the DEO or anybody else, but for some reason, she _knew_ this about Alex. Kara's mission had failed before it had even begun, and now she was messing everything up, including Alex Danver's life.

"Hey." Kara looked back up to see that Alex's brows were pulled together. "Don't ever think that about yourself. I'm not stuck with you, I _want_ to get to know you. We're going to figure this out together." Alex's voice held no space for disagreement. "From here on out, the world is going to think we're sisters. I know the last thing you want is someone pretending to be your family, but maybe we can at least start as friends?"

Alex held out her hand. Kara eyed it for a moment and then grasped it.

"Okay," she nodded.

* * *

 _That night, Alex dreamt of her father._

 _He was smiling, lifting her up onto his shoulders and she entangled her fingers in his thick hair._

 _Suddenly she was sitting in a chair, her father beside her, helping her build a model boat._

 _"We need to coat it so it's waterproof and will float."_

 _They were on the water, the waves rough._

 _"Dad! Dad!" Alex scanned the waves but she was alone.  
Something gleaming floated into her vision – a silver pod. _

_Ground hardened under her feet and she tore at the lid of the pod. Inside was the still form of Kara Zor-El, not moving._

 _"You were too late. Too late for me and too late for her…" her father's voice whispered in her ear._

Alex bolted up in her bed, looking around the dark room.

She was in her new room. It was just a dream.

Slowly she let herself relax back against her pillow, her head swirling with thoughts. She hadn't dreamt about her father in a very long time.

 _He had worked for the DEO._

She still couldn't wrap her mind around that realization – her father had worked for the very same people she was now working.

 _She had to find out what happened._ The urge pounded in her chest, entwined with her heartbeat, the only thing that was clear in her life currently, the rest being a swirling chaos of change.

She was going to get to the bottom of what happened.

Slowly she let her eyes drift closed, allowing sleep to begin entangling her thoughts.

A blood-curdling scream made her jolt awake.

"No! Please! No!"

 _Kara._

Alex sprinted down the hall, only pausing to grab the gun she had hidden close at hand.

Yanking the door open, Alex went in gun first.

In the faint glow from hall light, Alex could see that the room was empty, barring Kara, who was twisted in her sheets, small form curled in on itself, visibly shaking.

"Kara." Alex tucked her gun away, falling to her knees beside the bed. "Hey. Kara."

She reached out and gently touched the girl's shoulder.

The result was instantaneous. Kara shot up in bed, blue eyes wide.

"Hey, hey, it's okay," Alex whispered as Kara frantically scanned the room, small limbs wrapping around herself, chest heaving.

"I was…" Kara's gaze darted around the room as she fought to catch her breath. "I was back… The scientists, they were there…"

"It's okay. Hey, you're safe now," Alex tried to comfort the younger girl, her heart twisting painfully in her chest at the fear reflected in those bright blue eyes.

"I feel…" Kara squinted in to the darkness for a moment, her eyes suddenly widening. She frantically pushed at the sheets, getting out of bed.

"Hey, what's going on, Kara?" Alex trailed jogged after the girl who was running down the hall into her bedroom. "Kara!"

She almost ran into the girl, who had stopped in her tracks in the doorway of Alex's new room, staring at a painting on the wall.

"Kara, are you okay?"

Kara turned to look at her, face pale.

"I saw this painting through the walls."

The girl's face scrunched and Alex knew she was using her x-ray vision again.

And then suddenly a burst of red shot out of Kara's eyes, hitting a vase and causing it to explode.

"What is happening?" Kara backed up, blinking, another beam of red slicing through the air. "Alex?! Alex, what's happening?!" The fear in her voice was palpable.

"Kara." Alex slowly stepped towards the frightened girl. "Take a couple deep breaths for me, it's going to be fine. Come on, breath in and out with me." She held out a hand and was nearly hit by a laser beam. _Thank God that wasn't an inch closer._

"I can't, I can't make it stop," Kara sobbed, backing further away, putting her hands over her eyes. "What's happening?"

"Kara, listen to me. Under this sun, you have new abilities. This is normal, okay? We just need to get them under control, it's going to be fine. Superman has them too."

 _She had to get Kara to calm down._

"He… he does?" Kara's voice shook but she slowly dropped her hands away from her eyes.

"Yes. He's learned how to handle them, and you will too, I _promise_ ," Alex told the small Kryptonian. "Take a deep breath. That's it."

Carefully, Kara looked up at her.

"There you go," Alex smiled.

"I'm sorry." Kara's cheeks flushed. "I didn't hurt you, did I?"  
"Nope, I'm fine," Alex reassured her. She turned on the light and sat on the bed, patting the space beside her. Kara carefully perched next to her, glancing at her nervously. "I'm sorry we didn't talk about this earlier, I didn't realize how suddenly this would happen or that nobody had explained it to you," Alex began slowly. "I don't know how Superman figured it all out, but on this planet, you're going to feel different and be able to do different things."

"Like fly," Kara said softly.

"Right. And see through walls, and have lasers come out your eyes and skin that is impenetrable, if everything is the same as your cousin." Alex glanced at Kara who was biting her lip.

"Why didn't I know earlier?" Kara's voice was soft. "The scientists… they could get through my skin."

Alex had to take a moment to quiet the rage that sprung up in her. If she had just five minutes with those despicable humans….

 _Not the time._ Alex focused back on Kara.

"You know the green stuff at the lab?"

Kara clearly did, judging how she tensed, her hands balling into fists. The girl gave a terse nod.

"Well, that's called Kryptonite and it will take away your powers. That's why you felt so horrible around it."

"Oh."

In the dark, in human pajamas, Alex couldn't help but think that Kara Zor-El looked small and scared.

"I know it's a lot," Alex said softly. "Also it's really important that you hide your powers from everyone, so they don't know you're not human. But we'll figure it out."

Kara glanced up at her, before shifting herself ever so slightly closer to Alex, her body still hunched.

"Kara?"

The Kyrptonian looked up and Alex debated whether she should ask her question.

"Do you want a hug?"

The Kara was quiet for a moment then nodded vigorously, face crumpling.

Alex wrapped her arms around the younger girl.

She couldn't help but pull Kara closer, silencing the quiet whisper in her head that was warning her not to get too attached.

* * *

 _"Where is she?" a figure hissed, holding the throat of a man who was writhing in pain in her grasp._

 _"I don't know! I swear! The lab was raided and they took her away!"_

 _The cloaked figure dropped the guard, stepping away as he fell to the ground coughing._

 _"And do they have the scientists also?" she breathed._

 _"Yes, they have everything, it's all gone," the man wheezed. "Please, I had nothing to do with…"_

 _There was a thud and the man was still, the cloaked figure turning away._

 _"I will find my niece and those who took her will be punished."_

* * *

 _Omg what am I even doing. You need to leave me a review and tell me what you think! Because I feel like I don't know what I'm doing and idk if you all like it or hate it!_

 _Wouldn't it be hella confusing/scary to develop new powers? I wanted to include some that aspect in the story, since the show doesn't really go there._

 _Can't wait to hear your thoughts - just don't be mean if you hate it :O_

 _~silverlining_


	5. Rules to Follow

_**HELLO! I am still alive. I had 3 final exams and a research paper this week. Let's just say I'm exhausted. But I'm almost done!**_

 _ **YOU ALL ARE AMAZING I LOVE THE REVIEWS AND EVERYTHING AND YOU AND IT'S AMAZING AND I FEEL SO ENCOURAGED TO WRITE**_

 _ **Seriously, you are my inspiration. Yes, you! Person reading this - you!**_

 _ **That and my other inspiration is a love of angst and Kara/Alex sister-ness.**_

 _ **IMPORTANT: I wrote this chapter between studying for finals. So that's why the writing is crappier than usual and why it might feel disjointed. I tried, ya'll. I promise it'll improve moving forward.**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I don't own Supergirl and stuff. Too burnt out to think of some creative way to say that.**_

* * *

"Can I go outside?"

The words slipped out of Kara's mouth before she could process them.

Alex was sitting across from her at the table, chewing on some earth food, working on some sort of metal communicator.

Alex glanced up at her.

"Yeah, of course. Want me to come?" she asked.

Kara felt a rush of relief. She could go where she wanted – Alex wasn't going to make her stay inside. Last nights events were in the back of her mind, yet she still couldn't fully bring herself to believe that she really was free of labs and being controlled and hurt.

"Can… can I go alone?" Kara decided to test the waters a little more.

"Sure. We already went over all the DEO rules, so you're good." Alex barely even looked up. "You remember them, right?"

"Yes." Kara nodded. There had been a _lot_ , most of them regarding hiding abilities and pretending she was a human and Alex was her sister. Alex had seemed almost apologetic going over them, and it had been somewhat overwhelming, but Kara was fine with it for now. It beat the past situation without a doubt.

"Great. The yard is a pretty nice size, maybe later we could plant a garden." Alex put down her metal pad, face lighting up.

"Okay." Kara wasn't exactly sure how earth plants grew, but that sounded pretty interesting. However, at the moment, she just wanted to get outside. She tried to hide her impatience, not wanting to upset Alex.

"I know you are dying to go out there, but one quick thing before I forget," Alex stopped her, reaching into her bag. Kara's heart sank. She had been wrong to think they would just let her out – they would try to trap her and keep her like all the others, lock her up, put bracelets on her that poisoned her…

"Here." Alex pulled out a piece of paper and a pen, brushing a strand of hair out of her face. "The DEO gave you a lot of rules. I think it's only fair that you give us some. Well, not the DEO exactly, but rules for me."

Kara stared at her.

"What?" she managed to find her voice.

Alex calmly pushed the paper and pen towards her. "You can write some rules for me if you want. You don't have to. But if there's anything you don't want me to do or anything like that. Like come into your room, or things like that. I want us to be able to trust each other."

Kara looked down at the paper then back at Alex, who gave no sign that this was some sort of joke.

"It's okay if you don't want to, or want to do it later," Alex started to reach for the paper.

"Wait, no," Kara picked up the pen, taking a deep breath. If Alex was going to give her this opportunity, she was going to take it. She thoughtfully tapped the pen against her lips, giving Alex a quick glance. "Rule number one," Kara started writing. "You can't stop me from going outside." She tried to sound like she was confident, in charge, but couldn't help glancing at Alex to see how she would react. The older woman looked thoughtful.

"Could we add something about unless it's not safe to be outside?" Was Alex's only suggestion.

Kara considered it. If Alex really did want to protect her, that seemed fair.

She added it on.

"Rule number two. You can't study me." Kara unconsciously clenched her jaw. "Not without my permission." _Which she was not about to give any time soon_. "And you can't take me places without my permission."

Kara hardened her gaze and looked at Alex, daring her to protest, but the woman just nodded. Kara relaxed slightly continued to brainstorm.

"Rule number three, you can't go into my room." Kara decided on the one that Alex had suggested. She liked the idea of having her own space where nobody to get her.

"Rule number four." Kara tried to look as nonchalant as possible, tried not to show that the words she was going to say scared her. "Rule number four is none of that green stuff – Kryptonite." She almost wanted to throw up at just the thought, and she knew that was where her real fear lay. When she closed her eyes, she could still remember the pain radiating from every part of her, the bruises and cuts, the feeling of helplessness…

"Alright," Alex said softly, her brown eyes serious. "I'll type out these rules and we can put them up somewhere."

Kara had to fight the tears that were threatening to spill, roughly wiping at her eyes.

"Okay. I'm going outside now," Kara told her, pushing the piece of paper at the agent and practically fleeing.

So much for being tough.

* * *

Alex watched as Kara made a beeline for the door, the blond hair bobbing as she pulled open the door.

Maybe she should be concerned that Kara would accidentally discover some more of her powers, or loose control, or run away, but Alex found that she was most worried about the somewhat disturbing rules Kara had written.

She picked up the paper and looked over the young Kryptonian's messy scrawl.

 _1._ _You cannot stop me from going outside, unless for safety reasons._

 _2._ _You cannot study me or take me places without my permission._

 _3._ _You cannot go into my room without my permission._

 _4._ _No kryptonite._

Alex slowly set the paper back down. The rules were only telling of how scared Kara Zor-El really was and how horrendous her experience thus far on earth had been. Clearly, the girl was not thinking about privacy or convenience or likes and dislikes; this was a list created with the sole purpose of protecting herself.

Alex bit her lip and glanced out the window. She could see her blond hair behind a tree and was satisfied the girl was safe. There were about fifty different perimeters and alarms put up that were monitoring for intruders anyways, and she had already explained them to Kara. The girl more than deserved a moment alone.

Alex looked back at the paper and decided she would send a copy to Director Henshaw.

Director Henshaw.

Alex's conversation with her mother the previous day flooded back into her mind.

Looking down at her DEO laptop, Alex hesitated then pulled up the organization database and typed in her father's name.

Nothing.

She modified the search parameters, hoping to catch something with a wider net, but still nothing.

Why were there no records of her father's employment at the DEO?

* * *

"Hello."

Kara nearly jumped out of her skin. She had been watching small earth creatures with fluffy tails run around, completely fascinated.

Twirling around, she saw a boy standing a little ways away on the other side of the wooden fence.

Not that Kara believed it was simply a wooden fence – she was sure the DEO had cameras everywhere. Alex had already told her about some of the security measures that would catch anything threatening.

Clearly the boy, with his dark hair, dark eyes, and friendly looking face, was not a threat.

"Hello." Kara slowly stood up.

"What's your name?" the boy asked. He looked to be about her age, maybe a little younger.

"Kara." She glanced back at the house, wondering if Alex was going to come check on her.

"I'm Winn." The boy stuck out his hand out over the fence and waited expectantly.

 _He wants me to take his hand_ , Kara realized with an element of panic.

She grabbed his hand and squeezed it before dropping it, wincing at the strange look the boy gave her. Maybe that wasn't the earth custom… She was going to have to ask Alex.

"So you just moved in?" the boy, Winn, asked.

"Yeah. With my sister," Kara told him, shifting her weight from foot to foot.

"Cool." Winn gave her a bright smile. "My friend Carter lives on the other side of your house. I don't know if you'll see him, he isn't out a lot. Where'd you move from?"

"Michigan."

Kara didn't even know what a Michigan was, but the DEO had made her practice this story before letting her go with Alex.

"Nice." The boy nodded approvingly. They stood in silence for a moment.

"I… I should go." Kara took a step back from the earth boy, worried she wasn't seeming normal enough.

"Okay." A flash of disappointment crossed Winn's face.

"Well… well maybe we could talk a little more," Kara stepped back and was rewarded by another bright smile. "I don't know much about New York, maybe you could teach me?"

Winn looked like he might die of excitement over that question.

"Yeah! There's so much cool stuff around here, but we can start with the basics, you know? Like the city versus the suburbs, and which areas you should totally visit. There's this place where I like to go…"

As she listened to the excited talking of the earth boy, Kara actually found herself relaxing ever so slightly. It was nice to talk to someone her own age, even if they were different species.

* * *

"Kara?"

Kara sat up, trying to make out who was in her room.

"Mom?" she breathed.

"Kara!" her mother rushed forward, wrapping her tightly in her embrace. "My love."

"Mom," Kara clung to her. "You died. You're gone."

"I did?" Alura let go of her and Kara reached to secure her embrace once again. However, her mother kept backing away.

"Mom? Mom!" Kara watched as her mother took another step backwards, falling to the ground. Icy claws wrapped around Kara's wrists and when she looked down, they were glowing green. "Mother! Don't let them take me! Please!" Kara begged, fighting the hands that were dragging her away. "Please! Mom!"

Her mother does not respond as she screams.

"Kara."

She opened her eyes and realizes that Alex is beside her and she was in her dimly lit earth room.

It was a dream.

Kara told Alex she okay, when she wasn't. She said she was tired and wanted to go back to sleep. She lied and then when she was alone in the dark, she cried.

* * *

"Did you meet the other neighbor?" Alex glanced at Kara who was making her way back into the kitchen.

"Carter? Nope. He hasn't come out. I got to talk to Winn again, only for a little bit though. He said he has a big test in school tomorrow."

Only a couple days into their new life and Alex felt protectiveness she couldn't quite understand. They were beginning to fall into a rhythm and Kara seemed like she was starting to relax. However the girl spent a lot of her time just sitting outside, a behavior that was beginning to worry her. Alex was thinking about figuring out if maybe they could get a tutor for the small Kryptonian so that she could go to school and start building some semblance of a normal life. At least she was making friends with the neighbor boy on their right. That was a start.

However, Alex knew that Kara was far from normal. And it wasn't because the girl could see through walls or shoot lasers out of her eyes – no, Kara Zor-El had gone through something no person should ever experience.

At night, the nightmares hit and Alex got a glimpse of what Kara's experience at the lab had been like. Rule #3 was put on hold in those moments so that Alex could go into Kara's room and wake up the girl from the memories that left her screaming. However, once awake, Kara closed up and wouldn't tell Alex anything. The night before was only one example.

Could they find a therapist who was willing to see an alien?

She was jerked out of her reflections by the sound of shattering glass, looking up to find that Kara was guiltily looking at what had used to be her water cup.

"Stay there," Alex said automatically, grabbing a broom, not immediately processing that Kara couldn't get hurt by the glass bits if she tried.

It was about the fifth thing Kara had broken that day; this time she had squeezed her cup a tad too hard and it had exploded in her hand. Other things on the list to be replaced included two doors, another cup, and a plate that Kara had accidently speared with her fork while eating. Slowly, her different abilities were beginning to reveal themselves.

"It didn't even scratch me."

Alex looked up to find that Kara was examining her hand, standing obediently still. The girl suddenly grabbed a piece of glass and pushed it against her hand, ignoring Alex's cry of alarm. Instead of the glass piercing her hand, it just cracked further against her skin.

"Nothing," Kara observed, putting the pieces of glass down.

"Kara, please don't do that," Alex took a deep breath.

The Kryptonian looked up at her, blue eyes curious.  
"Why not? It can't hurt me."

She had a point.

"It… It just scares me," Alex admitted, sweeping under the table.

"Because I'm an alien?" Kara asked. Alex looked up quickly to find the girl was looking at her steadily, her expression slightly hurt.

"No. Not at all. It's just that… when I see you do that, I still automatically think you're going to get hurt." Alex focused back on sweeping, surprised at the emotion she felt at that statement and not willing to acknowledge it.

"Oh." Kara silently knelt down and began picking up pieces of glass. "I guess I should probably do this, since it can't hurt me and it could hurt you."  
"I'm not that easily hurt."

They picked up pieces of glass together in silence.

"Are we going to do this forever?" Kara asked suddenly.

"Do what?" Alex furrowed her brow at the question.

"Live together, say we're sisters, be in this house," Kara shrugged, crushing the pieces of glass in her hand into fine dust, sprinkling it into the trashcan. "Or will there be a different agent later?"

Kara glanced at her, and in the moment Alex's brown eyes met Kara's blue ones, Alex knew what Kara was asking.

 _If I let you in, will you stay or will you also leave?_

Alex swallowed, slowly straightening from her crouched position in which she had been picking up glass.

"Do you want me to stay?" she asked.

Kara was silent for a moment.

"I dream about my parents almost every night," Kara said finally. Her voice was hollow. "My mother holds me tight then lets me go. My father opens the pod that will take me away. Sometimes I see them getting farther and farther away and then Krypton explodes." It almost seemed like Kara was no longer aware of where she was. "And sometimes I see Kal-El, baby Kal-El, not Superman. But he is taken away from me also." Kara slowly looked up at Alex. "You didn't even know me before you came into that lab. What reason do you have to stay, when even my family has left?" Tears were beginning to trickle down the girl's face.

"Kara..." Alex took a step forward. Kara locked eyes with her.

"I need you to stay, Alex. Please don't leave me."

Suddenly Alex felt the girl's form barreling into her, thin arms wrapping around her waist. For a moment, Alex stood there stunned at the fact that Kara was clinging to her, but she quickly recovered pulled the girl closer.

"I will do everything I can to be here for you," Alex whispered, stroking the silky blond hair.  
It was a promise she intended to keep.

* * *

 _"It's called the DEO, that's all I know, I swear! I don't even know what that stands for!"_

 _"Interesting," the woman exhaled, dropping the man onto the ground. "And how do I find out more about this DEO?"_

 _"I don't know!"_

 _"Well you better figure that out. And soon."_

* * *

 _ **Like I said, not my best writing, but I hope you still enjoyed! Kinda a filler chapter. I need some time to build up Kara and Alex's relationship before they can go through craziness together. I promise future chapters will be of better quality.**_

 _ **Hit that review button and tell me what you think! :)**_


	6. Girl On Earth

**_Hellooooooo my lovelies!  
_**

 ** _Thank you for the beautiful notes and well wishes - I have indeed survived finals! Yay! Now it's just gluten free food, cuddling with my labs, and presents from here on out. And sleeping. Lots of sleeping. And some skiing :)_**

 ** _Also, FanFiction was being stupid and I didn't get to see a lot of your reviews on the last chapter until today. It was sad. I thought you all hated me but then you didn't and it was amazing! Yay!_**

 ** _I'm not going to write any notes about this chapter - I'll just let you all read it!_**

 ** _Disclaimer: I don't own Supergirl. And it's sad. And I will not be owning Supergirl in the future (barring any miraculous events) and that is also sad._**

* * *

"Oh Rao, what _is_ this?"

Alex laughed at Kara's look of amazement as she chewed the pastry they had picked up from a corner bakery.

"It's called a sticky bun, and it's all over your face, goof." Alex handed Kara a stack of napkins.

"I could eat these every morning," Kara marveled, shoving the rest of the bun into her mouth. "What next?" she mumbled around her mouthful of food, hopping off the bench and looking around excitedly.

"Slow down," Alex smiled, grabbing her coffee. "We've got all day."

It had taken about a mountain of paperwork and a good deal of arguing for Alex to get permission to take Kara out to the city. The security concerns were of course the main issue, but seeing Kara look so happy, Alex knew it was worth it. Not all threats, she reflected, were enemy attacks. Some of the most dangerous adversaries were built up loneliness and isolation. And sometimes keeping someone safe meant taking risks.

"I wish Winn could have come," Kara's face fell slightly. "He said his dad wouldn't let him, he's making him work on some project."

"Hopefully next time," Alex suggested, guiding them down the street towards the art museum.

"Yes!" Kara almost jumped up and down at the idea. "I can't believe I'm going to be going to an earth school."

"Better believe it," Alex chuckled. "You'll do great. Your tutor says you're catching up super quickly on all the earth topics."

Kara's blue eyes crinkled with pleasure, before suddenly widening with fear.

"Alex, what's that?!" the girl was suddenly clinging to the agent's hand, positioned slightly behind her. Quickly Alex scanned the area, her eyes drawn to a neon green sign that was blinking.

"It's a neon sign, it's okay," Alex reassured Kara, squeezing her hand gently. "Stores use them to advertise what they're selling."

"Oh." Kara relaxed but didn't drop Alex's hand.

Inwardly, Alex burned with anger at the people who had taken Kara. The girl had such an incredibly strong fear response to the color green that they almost had to pull over at the first green light Kara had seen.

"You're super brave, you know that?" Alex looked at Kara as they waited for the light to change so they could cross.

Kara glanced at her, brow furrowed.

"I don't think I'm very brave," she shook her head. "I think _you_ are really brave, being an agent and going on all those missions…"

They had had a very in-depth conversation about Alex's job the night before, leaving the Kryptonian very impressed.

"Those were a piece of cake compared to coming to a whole new planet," Alex swung Kara's hand, stepping out into the crosswalk as the lights changed.

"It _is_ pretty different here," Kara conceded. "I wish I could show you Krypton." Her face fell suddenly, blue eyes misting over.

"I wish I could see it," Alex gave half a smile, pulling Kara into a hug, which the girl fiercely returned. "Kara…" Alex groaned at the girl's crushing strength, causing Kara to quickly drop her embrace.

"Whoops!" Kara blushed. "Sorry Alex."

"Nuh-uh," Alex pulled Kara back. "I still want a hug, maybe just a little less bone crushing."

Kara giggled, and gave her a gentle hug before becoming distracted.

"Oh, what's that?!" Kara's blue eyes lit up and Alex followed her gaze to see that the Kryptonian was staring at a pretzel stand.

"We should find out, shouldn't we?" Alex smiled, already pulling out her wallet. She was quickly discovering the young alien's love of food and was more than happy to indulge her. In just a few minutes, the girl had her mouth full of the warm salty bread

"Oh!" Kara shrieked, jumping back, as a pigeon suddenly fluttered to the ground next to her. "Alex?!"

"That's a pigeon, Kara," Alex fought the urge to laugh as the girl of steel backed away from a pigeon. "It won't hurt you. It just wants your food."

Kara squatted down and carefully looked at the bird.

"Whoa." She stumbled back as the pigeon took a step towards her, cocking its head and examining her with a beady eye. "Hey, I think it likes me," Kara grinned up at Alex.

"I think it likes your pretzel," Alex commented bemusedly.

"You want some?" Kara turned to the pigeon and tossed it a piece of pretzel.

"Kara if you feed it…" Alex's warning came too late as another pigeon fluttered to the ground, and then another, nearby birds strutting over as fast as their stick legs could allow them.

"Alex…" Kara slowly backed away from the army of pigeons that was amassing in front of her. "Alex!" Kara's blue eyes were wide and this time Alex couldn't hold back her laughter.

"Watch this," Alex took a step back then ran at the crowd of feathered creatures. Kara screamed as the birds took off, flapping wings creating a cloud of grey.

"That was awesome!" A beautiful noise filled the air and Alex realized that she was hearing Kara laugh for the first time.

Turning around, she stopped for a moment in awe. Kara had her head thrown back, blue eyes crinkled as she laughed, blond hair blowing around her face.

 _She's happy_. The girl for once looked like the 13-year-old that she was, the 13-year-old she probably had been before being sent away from her home and locked away in a lab.

Alex wished she could freeze the moment forever, let Kara Zor-El feel nothing but that joy that was clear on her face. She wished that she could take away the pain that would creep back in, the sorrow, the fear, the nightmares…

If only Alex could protect her from everything.  
Because, if Alex was being honest, she wanted to keep Kara safe from everything, to somehow make up for what had happened to her. She _needed_ to. She couldn't describe the feeling, but the moment she had opened that metal pod in the lab and locked eyes with the girl inside, she had felt it.

Alex really had found a little sister.

"I really like pigeons," Kara laughed, pulling Alex out of her thoughts.

"Yeah? Well you would be one of the few," Alex wrapped her arm around Kara, smiling as the blond leaned against her. "By the way, where did you learn the word 'awesome'?"

"Winn." Kara grinned. "He says it like all the time."

"Hmm. You sound just like a teenage earth girl," Alex tugged on a strand of Kara's hair teasingly.

"That's good, right?" Kara glanced at her, beaming.

"I don't care what you sound like, as long as you're happy," Alex told her honestly.

Later, as they sat by a fountain, watching the water splash and families stroll by, Kara turned to Alex.

"Thank you. For everything." Her blue eyes were solemn. "When I… When I first got here, the scientists took me before I could even see earth. I thought the lab – where… where they kept me… I thought that was all there was to this planet." Kara's hand crept into Alex's. "I remember thinking that this was the worst planet in the entire galaxy." Kara shook her head. "Because, then, for me, it was. But now…" Kara looked back at Alex, biting her lip slightly. "Maybe earth isn't too bad."

* * *

They were driving home when the alarm on Alex's phone went off.

"What's that?" Kara pulled the book on birds that she had picked out at the earth bookstore closer to herself.

"I don't know." Alex pulled them into a parking lot, peering at her phone in the dim light of the setting earth sun.

Kara studied the older woman's face, her heart rate increasing as alarm crept into Alex's face.

"What is it? Alex?" Kara tugged against the safety strap Alex made her put on in the transportation unit, pushing the button that she knew would release her.

"Someone broke into the DEO headquarters," Alex said finally, her dark eyes flitting towards Kara.

Cold fear crawled down Kara's spine. According to Alex, the DEO were the good guys, and if Alex worked with them, Kara would grant them a tiny bit of trust. Which didn't mean good things if they were attacked.

 _What if the scientists were coming after her?_

"What does that mean?" Kara hated how small her voice sounded.

Alex was already furiously pushing buttons on her phone.

"I'm taking you to a safe house, just in case." Alex's face was tight. "Put your seatbelt back on, Kara."

Kara took one look at the worry in Alex's face and scrambled to put on the earth safety strap. The car roared forward.

Suddenly the car jolted.

Kara couldn't help but scream as she was thrown forward, the seatbelt clicking and catching her as metal groaned all around. She couldn't stop the random thought that flitted through her mind; _s_ _o that's why Alex makes me wear this thing…_

And then it was silent.

"Alex!" Kara shook her head, gathering her bearings. She tore off the seatbelt, panic rushing through her as she saw that Alex bent forward limply in the front seat, a white pillow hissing around her, staining with red. "Alex?!" Kara sobbed, scrambling forward when something grabbed her and yanked her back.

Kara didn't hesitate before she started fighting back, scratching and clawing at whoever was holding her. She couldn't be scared right now. She _had_ to get to Alex.

However, the grip that held her was stronger even than hers. In the chaos of darkness, yelling, and flashing limbs, Kara heard a whisper in her ear.

 _"Don't fight little one, it's me."_

Kara froze, her heart skipping a beat.

It couldn't be.

And then suddenly she was soaring through the air in the arms of her aunt.

* * *

 _ **OMG MY FIRST CLIFFY!**_

 _ **I feel like cliffys are so much more fun for writers than they are for readers...**_

 _ **Morals included in this chapter: wear your seatbelt and don't text and drive. Be like Alex.**_

 _ **Also, aren't Kara and Alex cute? I hope I'm not advancing their relationship too fast, I just really want them to be close now.**_

 ** _ALSO: I'll exchange reviews for Alex's safety *evil cackle*_**

 ** _Just kidding. But if you want to let me know what you think, or just what's up, I always read and love reviews and getting to know you._**

 ** _Question of the day: are you a dog or cat person? (this is important. after you answer this question, I will know everything I need to about you)_**

 ** _Until next time...*taps fingers together maniacally*_**

 ** _~silverlining_**


	7. Blood and Water

**_Hello friends!_**

 ** _THANK YOU FOR THE BEAUTIFUL REVIEWS!_**

 ** _Some of the highlights: my reviewer who was like "hi." HELLO BACK YOU ARE AMAZING. And then there was another reviewer who reported loving my evilness. Thank you. I really try. Sometimes my cat gives me some pointers._**

 ** _Wow, there are so many dog and cat people! I'm amazed. Personally, I am also both a cat and dog person, having both. My cat has a ton of personality so that makes her so fun to live with (and also annoying) while my dogs are just like balls of unconditional love, which is great also. So I honestly just love both._**

 ** _My cat has vowed to hunt you down and knock over every glass of water in your house if you said you were a dog person. Just a warning._**

 ** _I told my dogs that lots of people love them, but I think they misunderstood me and thought that I was going to give them food, which made them really excited._**

 ** _ALSO - so I'm realizing that I might have jumped the gun with the whole Astra finding Kara thing… I think being done with finals got me super hyped up and I kinda just blazed in… Lol. Wouldn't be the first time. Well it's too late to change it! ha ha. Anyways, I have a lot of different things I want to happen in this story, so maybe in one sense, it's good to go into this plot line in order to keep moving the story along. He he_** ** _. It'll work out. This chapter is super long so maybe that'll make up for my life being a mess._**

 ** _Disclaimer: I don't own Supergirl. However I do own some cat stickers. I got them in my shoe (don't give me that weird look, it's for Sinterklaas, my family is Dutch)_**

* * *

The moment her feet touched the ground, Kara stumbled away from her aunt, whipping around to look at her.

"Aunt Astra…" Kara took an unconscious step forward, blue eyes widening. "You died. You can't be here. You aren't real.

Astra smiled slightly as the younger Kryptonian reached out a hand, stretching out her own arm and grabbing the small hand. The moment their fingers touched, Kara knew. Her mother's sister really was here in front of her.

"I'm here, little one. I'm real."

Kara suddenly launched herself forward, hugging her aunt with all her strength.

"I saw the planet explode… Krypton, it's gone, everything is gone… How?" Kara looked up at her aunt, blinking away tears.

"I wasn't on Krypton, Kara." Astra stroked her hair gently. "I came to earth also. I heard you had arrived on this planet, that the humans here had done horrible things to you and I came to find you. You're safe now."

"I can't believe…" Kara's eyes widened and she suddenly realized what the nagging worry in the back of her mind was. "Alex!" She whipped her head around, scanning the huge room of the abandoned building, heart racing. "Where is she, where is Alex? What did you do to her?" Kara cried, backing away from her aunt, suddenly confused as she remembered how Alex had been so still, hunched over the steering wheel.

Her aunt had done that.

"Who is Alex?" Astra stepped forward, brow creasing.

At that moment, another Kryptonian landed, dropping a limp form onto the ground.

Kara didn't even care who the other Kryptonian was; all she could see was Alex's still form

"Alex!" Kara screamed, sliding to her knees beside the woman.

"Stay back, child." The newly arrived figure easily picked her up by the back of her shirt. "I brought this human for your aunt to punish."

"Let me go!" Kara fought him.

"Put her down, Non." Astra's voice was commanding.

Kara found herself back on the ground, and didn't even glance at her aunt, just scrambled forward to Alex.

"Hey, Alex. Alex!" Kara tried to wipe away some of the blood that was covering part of Alex's face. "No no no… Wake up! You said you wouldn't leave me!" Kara knew she was starting to panic but couldn't do anything to stop the fear that was welling up, threatening to drown her.

"Little One." A soft touch caused her to jerk back. Astra was standing over her, looking concerned.

"You did this!" Kara panted. "You hurt her!"

 _How could this happen, how could Astra be here and now Alex was hurt_ and Kara didn't know _what_ to think or _how_ to straighten out all the rushing thoughts that were swirling in her head.

There was one thing she knew for sure. For the last couple of weeks, Alex had been _all_ that Kara had. Kara couldn't just abandon her.

Astra winced at Kara's accusation, features morphing into an expression of confusion.

"It's a human, Kara, and she isn't dead, don't fret so much. We're together."

Kara wasn't sure she wanted to be together with Aunt Astra if it meant leaving Alex unconscious and bleeding on the cold hard floor of an abandoned building. The Astra she knew wouldn't do that. Surely she wouldn't. Aunt Astra was good - she wouldn't _hurt_ someone. B

But she had hurt Alex.

"Kara."

This time her name was a groan.

"Alex," Kara gasped, turning back to the injured young woman. Alex's dark eyes were beginning to blink open, brow creased with pain and confusion.

And then the woman shot up, eyes widening with realization.

"Kara, get behind me," she ordered, drawing Kara closer to herself. At the same moment, Kara felt someone grab her other wrist and for a moment she was tugged between Astra and Alex, before Astra's inhuman strength won. Kara cried out as she found herself being shoved at Astra's husband, who firmly held her back, despite her thrashing.

"Kara!" Alex moved forward, only to be pushed back by Astra, her slim form tumbling through the air for a moment before hitting a wall and thudding to the ground.

"You and your people will pay for all that you have done to my niece," Astra hissed, eyes gleaming. Kara had never seen that look in her aunt's eyes before.

"No!" Kara screamed. "No, don't hurt her!" Tears blurred her vision.

Alex somehow pulled herself to her feet, hands balling into fists.

"Let Kara go."

"Don't act like you're trying to protect Kara from me. I would never hurt my niece and I will not let your kind hurt her any more. Do you really think you can fight me, human _?_ " Astra raised an eyebrow, eyes beginning to glow. Her fist rose and Alex fell back again, Astra taking another step forward, eyes burning with intensity.

"Aunt Astra, _what are you doing?!"_ Kara screamed.

Her aunt stopped, turning to look at her, having finally heard her.

"Please. Don't hurt Alex, she's _good_. She _saved_ me. _You're_ good _; you don't hurt people!_ " Kara could barely breathe anymore, her heartbeat pounding wildly in her ears, a familiar feeling of helplessness threatening to overcome as she was held back tightly, the rough grip only reminding her of the scientists at the lab and their restraints.

Leaning heavily against the wall for support, Alex's chest heaved as she fought for breath, blood dripping down her face, yet her gaze was steady.

"If you really care about Kara, have your man let her go," Alex's voice was somehow even. "He's only scaring her more by keeping her from moving."

Astra paused before giving Kara's captor a firm nod. Kara scrambled forward as soon as she felt the iron grip loosen.

"Alex!" Kara was by the agent in a moment.

"Hey, hey," Alex was somehow wrapping her in her arms, for some reason she was the one doing the comforting, even though she was the one who was hurt. "It's okay. It's going to be okay," she whispered into Kara's ear. "Are you alright? Are you hurt?"

"No, I'm fine. I'm not hurt," Kara buried her head in Alex's shoulder, surprised at how safe she felt. Now that she was in danger of Alex being taken away from her, Kara was suddenly realizing how much she needed her.

"That's enough." Astra pulled her away. "Kara, let's go."

"Don't touch me!" Kara twisted out of her grip. She was confused. She didn't know what was happening anymore, too many thoughts were assaulting her brain at once.

The man, who had been watching silently, began to stride forward purposefully. "Do not show your aunt such disrespect."

"Hey!" Alex's eyes flashed at his movement, her jaw tightening. "Grab her again, and you will regret it."

"I don't take orders from a _human_." The man's eyes narrowed dangerously. "I would enjoy ending your miserable…"

"Stop!"

Everyone froze at Astra's yell. The Kryptonian woman threw her head back, mane of dark curls tumbling down her back.

"I want to talk to this human. Alone."

* * *

Alex Danvers had been in tricky situations before. But sporting a concussion in the middle of nowhere with two grown Kryptonians to contend with, Alex was having a hard time coming up with a happy ending scenario.

All she knew was that she didn't want Kara alone with Non, as Astra had called him. She could see in the Kryptonian woman's eyes that she actually did care about Kara. But that man… Alex could not see an ounce of emotion in his dark gaze.

"Have Kara stay," Alex argued. Kara glanced at her and Alex felt like her heart would break at the fear and confusion those blue eyes held.

As much as Alex disliked Astra, after all, the woman _had_ just kidnapped them out of their car and tried to kill her, Alex got the sense that the woman would not hurt her own niece.

"Kara will be safe with my husband. She is his niece also and would never hurt her."

There was no room for argument in Astra's voice. In that moment, Alex knew that the Kryptonian was a commander. She was in charge.

The man nodded in submission and Alex could tell that scary as he might be, Non would not disobey his commander. Astra turned back to Kara. "I only wish to talk to the agent for a couple minutes. Your human friend will be safe, since you seem to care about her, little one."

"Promise that you won't hurt her. Promise on Rao." The girl's gaze was intense.

Astra raised a hand and matched her niece's intensity of gaze. "I promise on Rao."

Seemingly satisfied, Kara glanced at Alex.

Alex met Kara's worried gaze and slowly nodded her head. _Oh god, how she wished they could go back to where they were this morning, laughing, exploring the city_. Now Kara's blue eyes were clouded with fear and confusion, her entire body tense, expression hard. Once again, Kara was being forced to take a role and deal with things far beyond what she should.

Alex hated it.

"I'll be okay, Kara."

Praying that she had done the right thing, Alex watched Kara exit the room uncertainly. They didn't have many options, and they both knew it. Alex could only hope that Kara's faith in her aunt's goodness and integrity was not misplaced.

Because now she was alone with the fierce Kryptonian woman.

Alex shifted her weight, trying to ignore the pounding of her head and various injuries that were trying to make themselves known.

She could take care of those after she got Kara out of here.

"Who are you?" Astra was slowly circling her, pale eyes examining her.

Alex blinked, wiping a streak of blood out of her eyes. She refused to be intimidated. This wasn't about her. This was about Kara.

"Alex Danvers, DEO agent."

Astra stopped in front of her and took a step forward.

"You would be dead right now if not for my niece. How does it feel to be protected by the one who you mercilessly tortured?"

Alex's brow furrowed, her gaze snapping up. _What?_

"Don't pretend you don't know what I'm talking about," Astra hissed. "I've heard all about how my niece was kept as… as a _subject_ , an _experiment,_ upon her arrival on this wretched planet."

"That was not the DEO," Alex ground out. "I don't blame you for wanting to kill me, not when you think I did those horrible things. But I didn't. The DEO was watching the lab because we suspected them of manufacturing alien chemicals. We raided and found Kara. I was assigned as her protector. Ask Kara if you don't believe me." Alex could think of no reason to say anything but the truth. "I know you are doing what you think is best for Kara, but this is scaring her."

Astra's face twisted.

"How could you even possibly know what Kara needs?" Her voice was low, dangerous. "You haven't seen your planet explode, lost your whole world, been hunted down." The rage in the woman's voice was palpable.

"You're right. I don't know what that feels like and I never can." Alex admitted. "But I have been learning how to be there for someone who does. I made Kara a promise that I would be there for her and I don't intend to break that promise. And I can understand some loss. My father died and when that happened, my whole life changed. I couldn't have done it with my family and friends who were there for me. I will do whatever possible to be there for Kara."

Astra's gaze was unreadable.

"Even if it meant your death?"

Alex didn't hesitate in answering.

"Even then."

How could she explain how much Kara meant to her? Alex could hardly understand it herself. She hadn't known Kara Zor-El one month ago, they weren't family, they weren't even the same species and yet she _cared_. She cared so much that it felt like her whole heart would explode when the thought of Kara being hurt entered her mind.

Did it make sense? According to the world, probably not. There was no rational reason that she would care so deeply about a girl she had known less than a month. But to Alex, what the world thought didn't matter. The moment Alex opened that metal pod in the lab, the Kryptonian had found a permanent place in her heart and life. Since then, they had gone through so many intense moments together, loosing Kal-El, nightmares in the night, handling new powers, making friends, exploring the city together...

There was no other way to describe it.

Kara Zor-El was her little sister.

And Astra was a mystery.

Alex knew she would never keep Kara from her family, especially not after all the girl had lost, but she _had_ to know whether Kara would be safe before even considering Kara leaving her care.

At this point, Alex only wanted what was best for Kara. But she wasn't convinced that Astra was that. She needed to know more.

"Mind if I ask a question of my own?" Alex spoke up, trying not to let her pain bleed into her voice. She could hold on a little longer.

Astra stopped her pacing.

"You can ask, but I give no guarantees that I will answer."

"How did you survive the explosion of Krypton?"

"Oh, that." Astra's laugh was bitter. "I wasn't on Krypton. I believe your kind has already found my home, and some of my housemates."

"What…" Alex suddenly realized what Astra was referring to, her gut twisting. "Fort Rozz. You were on Fort Rozz."

"Thanks to my lovely twin sister, yes." Astra ran a hand through her curly hair, pale eyes hard. "Kara does not know of her mother's cruelty."

"I'm guessing you're in affiliation with the other escapees." Alex grit her teeth, thinking of the damage they had caused. "You must be the leader."

"I have lost one world, I do not plan on loosing another." Her stance was a confirmation.

"What did you do to be sent to Fort Rozz?" Alex had been finding out over the past couple of months what kind of beings were sent to that prison. And it wasn't anybody she would leave a 13-year-old with.

"I did what I could to save Krypton, to make people listen. It was not enough." Astra's face was hard. "My sister herself sent me away as a criminal, as she did for many of the other occupants there."

"Do you really think that this environment is suitable for raising a young girl?" Alex felt her heart rate increase. If she stayed with her aunt, Kara was going to grow up around some of the most horrific criminals in the galaxy, beings that had no sense of compassion, no empathy, beings who reveled in inflicting pain… Terror ran through her as a new thought occurred to her. "If Kara's mother put away many of the prisoners, who's to say they won't try to exact revenge on Kara?"

"They would never defy my orders," Astra answered, yet Alex could see the sudden doubt in those pale eyes.

She had stumbled upon a very important point.

Alex knew what the escapees of Fort Rozz were capable of and she knew that Astra did as well. Alex had lost fellow agents, friends, to them. She had seen innocent people killed, with the perpetrator viewing it as nothing more than a game.

No. Alex now knew the answer to her question and the realization sent a wave of panic over her. If Kara was taken by her aunt, even though it seemed the woman truly loved her, she would not be safe. She would be living among immoral beings who wanted to hurt her for what her mother did.

"We both know the prisoners will only take orders to a point. Either you would weaken your position of authority with them by protecting the one they hate, or you would have to abandon your position completely and leave with Kara. And you don't seem like the type of person who would do either." Alex could see from Astra's face that she was hitting the truth. "I know we're on opposite sides, but right now, and trust me, if we meet again, we will be enemies, but right now, one thing is more important. Kara. We have that common; we both want what's best for Kara. You have to believe that."

"I do not have to believe anything that you say," Astra glared, however Alex could see that her face was thoughtful. Maybe, just maybe, she was getting through to Astra...

Then the Kryptonian's face hardened once again.

"My duties call and they do not involve you. This conversation is over."

* * *

 ** _AN: ..._**

 _ **Oh man. What have I done. I don't know what I'm doing. I am so sorry ha ha. Lol, like I said, might have jumped the gun on introducing Astra :D Maybe not. Who knows!**_

 _ **Personally, I interpret Astra as someone who truly cares for Kara, to the point of protecting her and wanting to keep her safe, but not quite willing to sacrifice her ambitions/plans in order to do what is really best for her niece. That's the Astra I am trying to portray. Hopefully she isn't too one-dimensional. Hopefully all the thoughts and interactions in this chapter were somewhat believable. I didn't want the situation to be black and white, because I feel like it's so complicated. Like Astra is Kara's family. But also kinda a little evil. But also kinda not. But also doing bad things and also Alex is awesome and we all know that Kara needs Alex too.**_

 _ **I really hope this chapter didn't fail miserably in trying to capture those dilemmas. You all deserve the best!**_

 ** _I'll try not to leave you all hanging too long. Will update once I figure out what happens next lol_**

 _ **Question of the day: chocolate or vanilla?**_


	8. Hear the Words I Whisper

**_Hello!_**

 ** _This will be a shorter chapter with the intention of updating not too late after! I just had an intense couple days and this is all I could get out._**

 ** _Thank you for the beautiful reviews. You all inspire me so much. I'm not exaggerating. I read every single one and then reread them for inspiration._**

 ** _Also - there are a LOT of chocolate people. Like almost everyone - where are you, my vanilla fans? (Fun reviewer fact: was the only one who prefered vanilla and Captain Canary has no preference which I find fascinating)_** ** _Chocolate is pretty amazing though, my sister is a hardcore fan... as is everyone else in my family. I don't know. There's something amazing about vanilla._**

 ** _Okay, back to the story - you obviously aren't here to read about my flavor preferences._**

 ** _As I said - it's shorter, but the next one should be up sooner! I would love to hear your thoughts on what you think should happen next!_**

 ** _Disclaimer: I do not own Supergirl. Nope. I don't. HOW MANY TIMES DOES THIS HAVE TO BE RUBBED INTO MY FACE_**

* * *

Kara's head shot up as her aunt entered, and she quickly stood.

Her aunt nodded at Non, who quickly exited. Kara relaxed as the man left. He had made no move towards her, but there was something about him that made her uneasy.

"You kept your promise?" Kara stepped forward. "I want to see Alex."

"I kept my promise." Astra nodded and Kara could see truth in her aunt's eyes. She saw something else there, something surprising. Sorrow. "You will see your human friend very soon." There was a pause. "She truly cares for you."

"I know," Kara swallowed, wondering what the two had talked about.

"And you really do love her." Astra was looking out a window now, staring into the darkness outside.

"I do. She's like my older sister now, Aunt Astra." Kara paused. "I love you too," she told her aunt, stepping forward. "Always. You're my family." Another step forward. "I don't understand, why are you with these people who are hurting humans, why are you hiding, why are you so… so angry?"

Kara could read between the lines and she had heard Non talking to another alien over a communicator while they were waiting for Astra. She had seen the anger in those eyes that were so similar to her mother's, seen the fury, seen Astra push Alex into a wall… But she _knew_ that Astra was good. This was her aunt. She had grown up sitting in her lap, learning about the stars, laughing and listening to stories.

Surely there was some reason. Maybe it was Non or…

"Some things, Little One, are impossible to explain." Astra finally turned around and Kara wasn't sure if it was a trick of the light, but she thought she saw a tear fall down her aunt's face. "It's not safe for you here. I've made choices I cannot take back. I'm not the same person who you knew back on Krypton."

"But it's okay, you can come back," Kara grabbed her aunt's hand, as she had done so many times when she was little. "Come live with Alex and I, be on the good side."

"You are your mother's daughter," Astra smiled, yet her eyes held no joy. "Sometimes, Kara, there is no right or wrong, no good or bad… Sometimes it's just you trying to find your place in the universe. Sometimes doing what is good might look like doing what is bad."

Kara furrowed her brow. "I don't know what you're saying," she shook her head. "But I know that you're good," she insisted.

"If only the world saw the good in others the way you do." Astra's gaze softened for a moment. "If only I could." She turned away to look out the window again. "It's not safe for you here," she repeated.

"Why not? Why don't we leave together, if it isn't safe for me?" Kara asked.

"I can't." Astra's voice was quiet. "Maybe when you are old, you will understand, Little One. In the end, everything I do is for the good of this planet. They will tell you otherwise. They will talk about things they do not understand. That is why I am telling you this. Don't let them take me away from you. Hold onto the goodness of your aunt, okay?"

"I will," Kara nodded. "But I don't understand, are you leaving…."

"Shh." Astra cut her off, kissing her forehead before gathering her into her arms. "You do not need to understand right now." Kara relished the moment, feeling the security of her aunt's arms wrapped around her, yet her heart twisted with confusion. "If you ever need me…"

Kara felt something cold and hard pressed into her hand. She looked down to find an old spy beacon.

She could hardly process what she was seeing before the room burst into chaos.

* * *

Alex leaned heavily against the wall, closing her eyes for a moment and letting her exhaustion wash over her. Then she stood back up and focused on the door again.

Alex did not enjoy being locked into a room. As soon as Astra had left, Alex had begun her attack on the large wooden door, an endeavor that was so far of limited success. So far, she was pretty sure she had only aggravated her injuries.

She didn't know what she was going to do once she got out. Mostly her plan consisted of _find Kara_.

A wave of pain and nausea assaulted her head and Alex fought not to throw up. Putting a hand to her head, she winced even at the gentle touch, her fingers coming back stained red from the drying blood.

And then suddenly the door flew open.

"Agent Danvers!"

It was another DEO agent, fully dressed in mission gear. The man hurried forward, but Alex was already pushing him aside, running out the now-open door.

 _Shit._

Alex could see that the DEO was already swarming the building, and somewhere she heard a scream.

Kara.

By the time Alex made it to the room Kara and Astra were in, chaos had captured the space. Agents were drawing their glowing green weapons, Astra was destroying the room with her laser beam vision, melting guns in agents' hands. However there was only one thing Alex was looking for and she quickly found her.

Kara was backed into a corner behind Astra, blue eyes wide with panic, unmoving.

"Stop!" Alex yelled, getting in front of the agents, wincing as a final stray bullet grazed her arm. "Cease your fire!" She stood with her back to the Kryptonians, holding up her hands.

"Agent Danvers!" Director Henshaw roared. "Behind you!"

Alex turned to find Astra's eyes fixed on her, glowing as the woman slowly began rising up into the air. However, as the Kryptonian's eyes flickered away from her to behind her, Alex could see that it was not herself who was in danger, but the agents clustered around the door. She opened her mouth to try to interject when a different voice spoke up.

"I know you aren't going to hurt Alex, but don't hurt the others either. Please."

Kara had moved in front of her and Alex couldn't stop herself from wrapping her arms around the younger girl. Kara leaned slightly into her touch, but did not otherwise acknowledge her, blue eyes fixed on Astra.

Astra's glowing eyes drifted back to Alex then back to Kara then to the agents behind them.

"I'm sorry, Little One."

The burning eyes began to shine.

A shot rang out somewhere behind them and Astra fell back, face paling as a cry of pain left her lips, one hand going to the green dart in her shoulder, tearing it out.

"No! Don't shoot!" Alex wrapped her body around Kara, the girl beginning to shake in her arms. "Don't shoot!"

Astra lifted further into the air, smashing through the window and heading out into the darkness. For a moment she hovered in the air outside and the world seemed to pause. In that moment, Alex made eye contact with Astra. The Kryptonian held her gaze for a split second. Alex wasn't sure if it was a trick of the light, but she could swear she saw Astra nod ever so slightly at her.

And then Commander Astra was gone, leaving Alex staring at the dark sky where she had been.

Only Kara's choked sob tore her gaze away from the window.

* * *

Somewhere, Kara could hear Alex whispering in her ear, but the words were drowned out by the buzzing in her head. It was all too much.

 _"Try to trace the Kryptonians!"_

 _"Don't shoot! Don't shoot!"_

 _"We've cleared the building."_

 _"Call a medic, we have a couple agents down!"_

Words and sounds began flooding into Kara's mind all at once.

"Alex," she whimpered, burrowing her head into Alex's chest, hands moving from clinging to the agent to covering her own ears.

"Kara?" Alex's voice hit her like a hammer as every noise in the room suddenly became amplified to a deafening roar. Kara shook her head, increasing the pressure with which she attempted to block her ears.

Music flooded into her mind, paired with a siren wailing, people chattering, someone laughing, someone crying, all the noises layering and overlapping, colliding and clashing in her brain, the sound reverberating against her skull.

Beneath it all, Kara heard a soft whisper.

 _"I'm sorry Kara."_

Astra.

Then her aunt's voice was washed away by the avalanche of words and noises.

Somewhere she was aware that Alex was holding her tightly as her body rocked back and forth, but it wasn't enough, it wasn't stopping the deafening waves in her mind.

As panic gripped her chest, Kara felt her eyes begin to burn.

"Oh no," she moaned, pulling away from Alex. "No, no, no…"

Alex was trying to reach for her when the first blast of laser vision shot out.

"No, no, no, stay away!" Kara yelled, trying to simultaneously cover her ears and eyes. There was a noise behind her and Kara whirled around before she realized what she was doing, her eyes opening and pure energy pouring out.

Agents were yelling now, and somewhere she saw a flash of green.

Kryptonite guns.

She had seen them carrying them earlier.

Her heart rate spiked as fear entangled with her lungs, leaving her gasping for air.

Energy shot from her eyes once again as green filled her vision.

"Don't shoot! Stand down!"

This time Alex had succeeded in getting in front of her.

"Alex, I can't control it, I could hurt you…" Kara panted, keeping her eyes closed tight again. At some point she had fallen to her knees.

Alex sank to the floor in front of her, effectively blocking her from the other agents with her body. "You aren't going to hurt me, Kara."

"Don't let them… the kryptonite," Kara hated the way her voice trembled, but she knew it was coming. She had seen the agents raising their glowing guns.

"Rule number four," Alex told her firmly. "Follow my breathing. It's going to be okay."

 _Rule number four: no kryptonite._

Kara felt herself relax the tiniest bit as she thought about the rules, picturing the piece of paper hanging up in their house. Some of the noise in her head subsided.

"Focus on my voice. Just this sound, okay? See if you can close your mind to all the other noises. Just focus right here." Alex's voice was lowering in volume, the ends of her sounds softening as Kara felt her hearing gradually return to normal. "That's it. Open your eyes, kiddo."

Slowly Kara blinked open her eyes, staring at the ground, and was relieved to find that her eyes had stopped burning. She looked up slowly to find Alex smiling at her.

"There you are."

Kara tensed as agents rushed towards them "Hey, it's okay. You're staying with me," Alex grabbed her hand. "They won't touch you."

"You're hurt," Kara's eyes widened as she took in the blood staining the woman's face. Suddenly she remembered how Alex had been unconscious, then images flashed into her mind of Astra sending Alex flying into a wall…  
"Hey. I'll be alright, and so will you, okay?" Alex ignored the medics scrambling about her, soft brown gaze fixed only on Kara.

"Okay."

But she wasn't.

Kara felt like she had been broken open, and sorrow was seeping into all her cracks.

One hand went to the spy beacon in her pocket, fingertips brushing against the cool metal, and with her other hand, Kara grasped Alex's, a tiny bit of her sadness disappearing.

Cracked as she may be, she wasn't alone.

* * *

 _ **Going to be honest, I almost cried when I wrote the convo between Astra and Kara. I hope you all liked it.**_

 _ **Looking for opinions on what should happen next. I have some ideas of course. They are fairly awesome and involve other characters. But I also want to know what you think! As I said - you all are my inspiration!**_

 ** _Question of the day: tea or coffee?_**

 ** _HAPPY NEW YEAR! (is it just me or did 2016 kinda suck?)_**


	9. Tiptoeing Ghosts

_**AHHH I'M SO SORRY FOR NOT UPDATING IN SO LONG!**_

 _ **and this chapter is totally really short, I'm so sorry. Long story short, I have celiac disease, got majorly glutened, questioned all my life choices for 2 weeks while having a variety of symptoms, and now I'm back.**_

 _ **This chapter is my attempt to get over gluten-induced writer's block (it's real, I swear! look up celiac disease)**_ _ **So - feedback and advice would really be appreciated. ESPECIALLY SINCE I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN NEXT YAYYYY. I'm hoping to get back in the swing of things soon!**_

 _ **Thanks for hanging in there with me.**_

 _ **Disclaimer: still don't own Supergirl**_

* * *

"Are you in pain?"

A DEO doctor bustled around the examination table in the medical ward.

"Not much," the agent shook her head. It was only half a lie. Her head felt like someone had taken a sledgehammer to it, and she had found out her ankle was fractured, on top of all the bruises and scrapes she was sporting. A fracture meant a cast and Alex hated having her mobility limited in any way.

Still, it was Kara that Alex was most worried about.

The girl was sitting in a chair across the room, blond hair falling around her face as she stared at the floor.

After the initial panic and fear of what had happened at the warehouse wore off, the young Kryptonian had completely shut down.

"What are you thinking, kiddo?" Alex waved off the doctor and eased herself off the examination table.

Kara glanced up at her briefly and Alex was shocked to see how dull her usually lively eyes were.

"I don't know."

Kara looked back down at the floor, clearly done with the conversation.

 _If you could call that a conversation,_ Alex reflected, worrying her bottom lip.

"Are you sure you aren't hurt?" Alex limped over to Kara, trying to keep the concern in her voice to minimal levels.

Kara just shook her head.

That was okay. It had been a rough day for everyone. Kara probably just needed time to process. Heavens knew the girl had a lot to think about.

Another agent drove them home and Alex quickly set up a bed for the agent, who was also going to be staying with them for the night as a precaution.

Alex started seriously worrying when she came back from setting up the guest room to find Kara sitting on the couch staring at the wall, in the exact same position she had been in when Alex had left.

"Hey, how are you doing?" Alex carefully sat down beside the young Kryptonian.

Kara spared her a brief glance.

"Okay."

"Do you want to make dinner together?" Alex offered. "Or we could watch a movie or…"

"I want to go outside." Kara got up.

"Okay, want me to come?" Alex stood as well.

"No, I think I would like to be alone." Kara gave Alex the briefest moment of eye contact before heading for the door.

Okay. So Kara didn't want to talk. That was fine. She just needed time.

* * *

Fast forward 24 hours and Kara had barely spoken or eaten. Alex was starting to go kind of crazy, unsure if had been something she had said to Astra, or maybe Kara blamed her for Astra leaving or… Well Alex could think of about fifty reasons Kara might hate her. But her every attempt at conversation ended in the Kryptonian shutting her down.

But who was she to talk to Kara? Alex was keenly aware that her very presence at the abandoned warehouse had forced Kara to stand between her and Astra. Her being there had brought the DEO, which had brought kryptonite and caused Kara to witness one of two of her living relatives to be shot in front of her and forced to flee.

What does one say?

 _"I'm sorry I made your life, which has already been unbelievably unfair, even worse."_

 _"I wish you didn't have to defend me against your possibly homicidal aunt who left you because my employers showed up."_

 _"I'm sorry you're stuck with me."_

 _"I'm sorry I can't be what you need. I'm sorry I can't give you what you deserve."_

So as Kara withdrew, Alex took a step back also.

* * *

Soon it seemed that they were simply coexisting, Kara wandering the halls like a ghost, staring at spaces where nothing was, Alex trailing behind & silently worrying.

* * *

The most Alex heard Kara's voice was when she woke up screaming in the middle of the night. In those moments, Kara seemed to actually need her, but then in the morning, she retreated back into the shell she was becoming.

* * *

The agent assigned for extra security left.

Nothing changed.

It seemed like years ago that they had gone to the city together, since Alex had heard Kara laugh for the first time.

Maybe that moment had just been a dream.

* * *

Day six, Winn knocked on the door, asking if Kara was around and okay, bright blue eyes clouded with worry. Alex ended up having to send him away, telling him that the teen was sick.

* * *

Day eight, Alex was desperate. She didn't want to push Kara, didn't want to make her do anything she didn't want to. But they weren't getting anywhere.

She decided to give Kara a little more time.

* * *

A week and a half after encountering Astra, Alex did the only thing she could think of.

She called her mom.

* * *

 _ **Plz help me get over writer's block**_

 _ **Question of the day: fruits or veggies?**_


	10. Dust My Skin Gold

_**THE CURE FOR WRITER'S BLOCK = BEAUTIFUL REVIEWERS LIKE YOU (and a strict avoidance of gluten)**_

 _ **THANK YOU!**_

 _ **also nobody chose vegetables.**_

 _ **Anyways, without further ado, I present THE NEXT CHAPTER**_

 _ **I hope it's okay. I got really caught up in all the emotions so I'm not sure if I missed anything important or moved things too fast. Let's remember that Kara is pretty young and in an emotional spot. I hope it isn't too fast or cliche though. My brain has been pretty fried lately.**_

 ** _Disclaimer: I don't own Supergirl_**

 ** _Enjoy!_**

* * *

Kara Zor-El had observed a lot of humans.

First there were the humans in the lab. She didn't like to think about them.

Then there were DEO humans, like Hank Henshaw and the other agent that had stayed with them for a couple days.

Then there were children humans, like Winn, and also Carter, who she had never actually met.

Also, ordinary parent humans, and running humans who liked to jog past the house with hairy creatures on a string, and car-driving humans, food-selling humans, and lots and lots and lots of types of humans. She had been observing them with her x-ray vision and far-reaching sight over the past week of self-enforced solitude. There was so much _life_ on this planet, an entire society that Kara had barely even known existed, a society that Kara didn't understand at all but was beautiful all the same.

And then there was Alex Danvers.

Kara had been sure that all inhabitants of Earth were heartless, cruel beings, until she met Alex. The young woman had accepted her unconditionally and been there for her in ways that not even Kara's parents had back in Krypton.

Alex had recognized that Kara's life on this planet was a battle and had vowed to fight alongside her.

Except now Kara was beginning to realize that her battle was not one that would end well. It had been a mistake to lean on Alex, to think that maybe just maybe things would work out.

Kara Zor-El was not made for this planet.

She had seen the way the agents had looked at Astra with wide-eyed fear. She saw that same fear reflected in their eyes when they looked at her.

And Alex… Oh Rao, Alex. Kara did not think she would ever forget the way Astra had flung the agent across the room, the sound that had echoed in the room as she hit the wall…

Kara loved Astra. And not just a little, but more than she could explain. So much that her heart had felt like it had been torn in two when the woman had flown away into the darkness.

But her aunt had been right; she wasn't the same person that Kara had known on Krypton. This Astra had been about to scorch an entire room of agents. This Astra worked with Non, who spoke over radios about subduing humans.

No. Kara could love Astra but she would not follow her path. Nor did Astra want her to. Kara was all too aware that Astra had left her intentionally _._

 _"It's not safe for you here,"_ her aunt's voice rang in her ears.

And that brought Kara right back to Alex.

 _"I will do everything I can to be here for you."_ Alex's promise rang in her ears.

But what was the point? Judging by the security system they had set up around the house, it was clear that Kara was expected to be some sort of beacon for danger. And the fading bruises all over Alex were only a surface level reminder of what Kara and her family had already brought down on the human. And Kara didn't want to lose anybody else, even if it meant emotionally shutting herself down.

Withdrawing was the best way to prepare herself for what she was about to do.

Kara was going to leave.

* * *

"Hello? Alex?"

Alex inexplicably almost started crying at the sound of her mom's voice.

"Mom." She couldn't keep her voice completely steady.

"Alex? Are you okay?!" The alarm in Eliza's voice was tangible. Alex had been able to give Eliza short updates, mostly just _"I can't tell you what's going on but I am alive"_ sort of texts. In fact, she had specifically gotten a non-DEO phone to be able to communicate with her mother.

"I'm alright." Alex glanced down at her ankle, which was still in a brace. "Basically healed from the last mission, actually."

"Oh, okay, good," Eliza sighed. For a moment they were silent, letting the unasked question hang in the air. _What is the purpose of this call?_

"I… I need your advice," Alex admitted, shifting her weight as she moved the phone to her other ear.

"What is it?"

"I…" Alex chewed on her bottom lip, trying to find the right words. "I… I'm kind of the guardian of a girl. She's twelve, she's not from earth…."

"Hold on, what?! You're in charge of a twelve year old alien?!"

Alex winced. Yep, there really wasn't any subtle way to say it. She decided to just push through, at this point she had already started.

"Yeah, so like a week and a half ago, we got kidnapped by her aunt, who is also a Kryptonian…"

" _She's Kryptonian?_ "

"Mom please, this is already hard enough," Alex pleaded. "You're not even supposed to know any of this."

"I'm sorry, but Alex, do you realize how unbelievable…"

"Yes, I know, but she's so much more than all that. She's a person, well I mean not a human, but she's an _individual._ And she's a kid."  
"Okay." Eliza seemed to be taking a moment on the other end of the phone to ground herself before continuing. "What happened with her aunt?"

"She… well she came to get Kara… I mean the girl… shit I just told you her name… What the hell, I'm dead anyways. Her name is Kara and she's Superman's cousin."

Silence on the other end.  
"You're freaking out, aren't you, mom?"

No answer.  
"Mom," Alex groaned. "Please just work with me here."

"Alex, honey, I'm really trying," Eliza's voice was strained. "Just keep going, I'm listening."

"Okay." Alex was in too deep to pull back now, she might as well tell the entire story. "Basically, her aunt was in prison when Krypton exploded and somehow ended up on Earth, found Kara and I and… Uh… well sort of kidnapped us."

"Keep going." Eliza's voice was brisk and Alex could almost feel the determination in her mother's voice.

"Anyways, her aunt separated us, and while she and Kara were together, the DEO came. They had… Kryptonite, they shot Kara's aunt, Kara is terrified of the stuff for good reason. Her aunt ended up having to flee and Kara is back with me. But she's… she's not _back_." Alex ran a hand through her short hair, trying to find the right words.

"What do you mean she's not back, sweetheart?"

"She's here physically, but mentally, she's not. She won't talk to me, won't eat, won't do _anything._ I've tried everything. She must hate me for what happened, hell I hate myself, Kara has lost everything. I… I broke my promise that I would be there for her… I separated her from her only family…" The sobs that had been caught in her chest for a week and a half were rising to the surface, emotions pushing against her lungs and making her breathing shallow.

"Alex…"

"No, Mom, you don't understand, this girl was _tortured_ in a lab for… for weeks, months, with Kryptonite and she watched the DEO shoot her aunt with the very same substance…"

"Alex!"

"How could I ever let this happen…"  
"Alexandra Danvers!"

Alex stopped, her attention diverted by her mother's commanding tone and use of her full name.

"Listen to me right now, Alex. _It is not your fault._ "

Silence for another moment. Alex leaned her head against the wall, blinking hard in an effort to push away her tears.

"I'm coming over. What is your address?"

"Whoa what?" Alex jerked up. "You can't do that."

"Either you tell me or I find you through other means."

" Mom!" Alex gripped the phone more tightly. "You can't come here. If they find out they could take Kara away and put another agent with her. Please, don't make me regret calling you."

Eliza's sigh was heavy.

"This girl, Kara, from what you've told me, has lost a lot. If you blame yourself and withdraw, she's only going to loose you also. I know you, Alex. You have always done _everything_ you can to keep the ones you love safe. Whatever happened with Kara is not because you messed up or didn't try hard enough or failed in some way. And however much it seems that Kara is angry, I think that deep down she is terrified of loosing you too."

There was a soft thud upstairs, causing Alex's agent senses to tense.

"Hey, I'm really sorry but I have to go Mom, something came up, love you." She was already moving towards the stairs.

"Do your thing. I love you."

Alex put the phone away and hobbled up the stairs as fast as she could.

A window was partially open, enough that a slender teen could squeeze through, the security alarm on it completely crushed.

Panicking, Alex shoved the window open further and climbed out onto the roof.

And there she was.

* * *

Kara's eyes were closed, her face turned upward towards the fading sunlight that was dusting her skin with gold.

Alex's eyes drifted to the look of pure concentration on Kara's face to the backpack slung over her thin shoulders, and her heart sank.  
The Kryptonian was getting ready to fly away.

"Kara."

The word fell from Alex's lips almost against her will.

Kara started, eyes flying open with fear.

"Hey. It's just me," Alex held up her hands, heart aching as the emptiness resurfaced in Kara's blue eyes.

The younger girl looked down at her feet.

"Do you want to leave?"

Kara looked up and Alex saw the sorrow flicker in her eyes.

Still, silence.

"Kara, please. Talk to me," her voice was tinged with desperation. "I am so sorry. I'm so so sorry. But please, tell me what's going on, I don't care if you hate me or never want to see me again, but just tell me so I can know what I can do."

There was a pause and Alex was worried that Kara was not going to answer.

"I don't belong here," Kara finally met her gaze for a moment before her sapphire eyes flickered away to survey the sunset. "I'm sorry Alex."

"Sorry for what?" Alex furrowed her brow.

"I'm sorry for the trouble I've caused."

In that moment, Alex realized that Kara was not mad at her. Quite the opposite. She was blaming herself for what happened. How could Alex not have seen that?

Kara looked up at Alex, the older woman looking at her with a gaze that held not a single drop of anger.

"Kara. Please don't ever think of yourself that way."

Kara shook her head vigorously.  
"I have no place here. I have only caused you and others harm. Kal-El does not need me to protect him and your planet does not want anther Kryptonian."

She could not let Alex convince her to stay.

Behind her, the agent sat down on the tiles at the peak of the shallow roof.  
"Can you sit and we can talk?" Alex suggested.

"No. There is nothing to talk about." Kara crossed her arms, not looking at Alex. She knew that if she met her dark kind gaze, she would never be able to leave. Closing her eyes, she concentrated, trying to figure out how Astra and Kal-El were able to harness their powers and fly.

"Hey."

Alex's voice broke her concentration once again.

"It's not fair for you to make this decision for both of us."

That took Kara by surprise. Her attention was caught and Alex must have realized because she continued. "You said your part, now I get to say mine. Come sit."

Kara had been trained from infancy to heed what was fair and just.

Alex did have a point.

"Fine. You may give your side then I will leave." Kara could not stop the Kryptonian formality from creeping into her voice.  
She sat, brushing her fingertips against the warm roof tiles, trying to absorb the heat.

"There's something I want to tell you," Alex turned to look her, but Kara continued to stare stubbornly forward. "Having you as my little sister has improved my life."

Kara glanced at her doubtfully, face morphing into an expression of surprise.

"I know you have a place on this planet because you have a place here with me. When Astra separated us, I realized just how much I cared about you. You're not another job to me, you're the reason I have to keep doing my job. You're not the reason I was injured, but you are so definitely worth it. Your value is not defined by anything you do. Kara, you're valuable because _you are you._ And I care about you, whether you like it or not."

Alex slowly reached to take Kara's hand, acutely aware that the girl was beginning to silently cry. "I'm so so sorry for what happened with Astra and that I couldn't do more, and I understand if you're mad at me…"

"I'm not," Kara choked on her tears, shaking her head. "I'm not upset with you, Alex. It's not your fault. But it would be better if I left, better for you…"

"No." Alex gripped Kara's hand tighter. "You don't get to decide that. I would _not_ be better off if you left. Do you understand? I would be so scared if you left, so worried about you. I care about you, Kara."

"But…"

"Hey." Alex cut her off. "No buts there. I know you're scared. But when we first moved in here, we promised that we would figure it out together. I'm not going anywhere. And you have so many possibilities ahead of you, Kara. You're going to go to school, we can travel, and there are so many different types of food you still haven't even tried…"

At that, Kara laughed through her tears, just as Alex had hoped she would.

"In time, you'll figure out what you want to do with your life here, Kara. Most human kids don't figure it out until they're over 20. You have so much time to explore and find your path. And this isn't only about you. It hasn't been very long, but I can't imagine my life without you. And you know what, I don't want to. I would do all this all over again. You're important to me and I would love to be your older sister if you decide you still want one."

They sat in the golden sunlight for a moment as millions of emotions battled in Kara's mind.

But in the end, Kara knew she needed Alex. And maybe that was okay, since it seemed like Alex maybe needed her too.

"Okay," Kara breathed. "Okay. I'll stay."

She still felt cracked open and raw, her heart heavy and head swimming with images and memories of Krypton and Astra and her family. Alex's foot was still in a cast, her face bruised. There was so much to be afraid of.

But sitting in the soft light of the sunset, realizing Alex wasn't going to let go of her, it was like the fading rays were filling her cracks with gold and her heart with hope.

* * *

 ** _I hope it was okay and you enjoyed it! Next chapter will be less heavy on the angst and more fun. Plus an intro to some characters you all have been waiting for :)_**

 ** _Again, sorry if it was too rushed. I want to keep things moving._**

 ** _Ice cream or cake?_**


	11. Human Households

_**Hello friends!**_

 _ **Thanks for the beautiful reviews and encouragement. I hope you enjoy this chapter, it's more fluffy and relational :)**_

 _ **And hopefully a little funny and amusing! I really hope you enjoy it and thanks for being amazing supporters of me and this story.  
**_

 _ **As always, please let me know if you have any ideas or things that you want to see in the story :)**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own Supergirl!**_

* * *

"Hey, Kara, you're back!"

Kara smiled, jogging across the lawn to greet her friend on the other side of the fence, holding a sandwich in one hand. When she had seen Winn give their signal at the fence, she had quickly asked Alex to be excused and ran out.

"Are you feeling better?" Winn asked eagerly.

Kara tried not to laugh at the way his dark hair was sticking up all over the place.

"Yeah, I'm better now." Kara's blue eyes crinkled around the edges.

"Great, because my dad is out of town at a conference. So you can totally come over!"

Kara choked on her sandwich.

"Whoa, don't die…" Winn patted her on back rather unhelpfully. "So you want to?"

"You mean like come over, into your house?" Kara wheezed once she had sufficiently cleared her lungs.

"Yeah, unless of course you don't want to, which, you know, is totally fine…" the human boy began stammering.

"No, I'd like to see a human house… I mean your house! I would like to see your house! Like with all your beds and couches and stuff and human, I mean, normal things like tables, which I definitely know about and uh…" Kara stumbled over her words. "Let me go ask Alex."

She practically fled the scene, leaving Winn standing alone by the fence. A puzzled look crossed his face.

"Did she say she wanted to see a human house?" He pondered for a moment then shrugged. "Eh, whatever."

* * *

"ALEX!" Kara ran yelling into the house.

"What?!" Alex appeared around the corner, her gun already drawn. "What is it?!" Her dark eyes quickly scanned the room.

"Winn invited me over to his house!" Kara fell onto the couch.

"Oh." Alex put her gun back in its holster. "Are you going to go?"

"I don't know if I can seem human enough," Kara bit her lip. "I don't think I can do this. I know he already thinks it's weird that I live with my sister, he's going to totally notice that there's something different about me. And what if he asks more about my family? I can't just… just pretend I have different parents…" A shadow passed over Kara's face.

"How do you know he thinks that?" Alex asked curiously, putting her hands on her hips.

"I heard him tell his mom that." Kara's cheeks reddened slightly.

"How…" Alex's brow furrowed then cleared with understanding. "Oh. Kara, I'm not sure it's the best idea to eavesdrop on the neighbors…"

"I didn't mean to!" Kara protested, burrowing her head in the couch pillow.

"…Besides, you can tell him that I'm your foster guardian but you just call me your sister. You don't have to pretend that your parents didn't die, Kara. He will understand what the foster care system is."

"What is it?" Kara looked up.  
"It's for kids who need someone to look after them. They get placed with a family who is supposed to take care of them when they don't have someone else to."

Kara bit her lip. That sounded pretty much like her situation.

"But what about all the human stuff that I won't understand?" she asked.

"Kara, nobody is going to think for a second that you're actually from a different planet," Alex smiled slightly. "People only see what they expect." She stuck out her hand and Kara reluctantly took it, letting Alex pull her up to her feet. "This will be a good first step for going to school."

"Okay." Kara took a deep breath and suddenly her face brightened. "I have been wanting to see a real human household. Can I eat food there?"

"Oh man." Alex put a hand over her eyes. "First of all, please don't say 'human household' to them. Also, don't eat them out of the house, Kara. It's lucky that we get our bills covered by the DEO. If you're eating, just eat a normal amount, okay?"

"But how will I know what that is?" Kara's brow furrowed.

"Just copy Winn. Enough questions, go have fun, okay?" Alex gave the Kryptonian a gentle push towards the door. "And if you feel uncomfortable in any way, just call me and come right home okay? Do you have your cellphone?"

"Yes, I have the communication device," Kara rolled her eyes and Alex couldn't help but laugh at the characteristically teenage gesture.

Ever since their talk on the roof, their relationship had been slowly creeping back to what it had been before Astra's appearance. Alex was still trying to process the fact that Kara had been struggling so much that she had almost flown away. Beneath her impenetrable skin, Kara was so so vulnerable. Everything she had was stripped away and the task of picking up the pieces was by no means easy or simple.

What struck Alex the hardest was the fact that Kara felt that she was only a burden and had blamed herself for the injuries Alex sported. Her mom had been right. Kara didn't hate her.

The thought that Alex could have so easily lost Kara still frightened her. In her head she could still see the girl standing on the roof, face tilted upward, as the setting sun attached long shadows to her feet.

A girl who could fly yet carried unfathomable weight.

Alex could not let Kara's thoughts pile up that high again.

Friends and school would help her adjust.

And if they didn't, Alex was ready to do whatever necessary to prove to Kara that she was wanted and needed.

* * *

"I am back and ready to see your house," Kara found Winn at the fence where she had left him.

"Awesome! That's great!" Winn was nearly bouncing.

With ease, Kara pulled herself over the fence and landed lightly on her feet by the boy's side.

"Whoa." Winn looked impressed.

"Come on, let us go," Kara quickly tried to redirect his attention.

"You just like vaulted over the fence. Dang!"  
"Oh!" Kara stopped abruptly as a furry creature sauntered up to her, its lithe tail waving slowly in the air.

"This is Griffin, she's our cat," Winn picked up the fluffy creature.

"She's so cute!" Kara squealed. "Can I touch it?"

"Sure, she's pretty chill," Winn grinned. Kara reached out and touched the creature, a smile spreading across her face.

"She is so soft. Hello Griffin!" Kara stuck her face up close to the cat's, before jumping back as it opened it's mouth and made a little noise. "She's trying to talk to me!"

"Yeah she always meows at everything." Winn put the cat down. "Here, I'll show you around."

Reluctantly Kara followed Winn away from Griffin. They made their way through the house, which seemed somewhat similar to her own, with tables and chairs and things like that. This house had a lot more random and interesting stuff lying around.

"So have you… um… have you always lived with your sister?" Winn glanced at her.

"My parents died. Alex is my foster guardian, but I call her my sister," Kara brushed a strand out of her face and tried to seem nonchalant.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Winn's face flushed. "I… I didn't realize, that was probably pretty rude…"  
"No, it's okay," Kara jumped to reassure him. "I… I like living with Alex. She is a good person."

"Oh that's really good," Winn nodded his head vigorously before rushing to change the subject. "Yeah. So, um, this is my house. Basically my dad lives in the basement, he's obsessed with making toys, so I get to do pretty much I want up here. My mom is super chill."

Kara was starting to think that the word chill did not mean a temperature.

"Your dad makes toys?" Kara perked up.

"Yeah, he designs them, he even started a company," Winn's smile didn't reach his eyes. "Want to see his workshop in the basement?"

"Sure!" Kara bounded behind him. Humans were so interesting.

They went down stairs, arriving in a dimly lit room which had tables covered with strange objects like metal bits and scraps of fabric. On one shelf sat nothing but dolls, on another, toys of strange and twisted shapes.

"A little creepy, but also kind of cool," Winn shrugged as Kara picked up a thick metal disk with a string attached.  
"Yes, it is… cool," Kara tried out the word. "Do you make toys also, Winn?"

Winn looked slightly uncomfortable.

"My dad likes it when I help out."

Something about his body posture suggested that it wasn't his favorite topic.

"What about you? Do you like it?" Kara persisted.

Winn shrugged.

"I'm more into computers. Not to brag, but I'm kinda pretty good with them." The sparkle reappeared in his eyes. "Hey, maybe this is weird, but I noticed that your house has like twenty servers that are under some _serious_ encrypting. It took me like forever just to find them." Winn's eyes widened as he realized what he had said. "Not that I've been spying or anything, I just really really like computers, you know?"  
"No, that's okay," Kara flashed him a smile, trying to find an explanation. "Alex is… she is very worried about intruders."

"Oh, so like a crazy security system then?"

"Yes." Kara nodded, relieved.

Winn seemed to want to say something else but was cut off by a knock upstairs.

"Oh, that must be Carter." He was already running up the stairs, Kara trailing behind him as he flung open the front door.

A boy who looked to be their age was standing next to a commanding looking blond woman.

"Ah, Whit. I presume your mother is home?" the woman's voice was curt.

"She's working upstairs, Ms. Grant," Winn responded, opening the door wider. "Also, it's Winn…"

"And who is this?"

Suddenly Kara found herself being examined by the piercing blue eyes of the woman. For a moment she wondered if this woman was also Kryptonian because it felt like she was seeing right into her soul. Resisting the urge to squirm, Kara tried to give a confident smile.

"Oh, this is Kara. She's in the house between yours and ours."

The woman's eyebrows rose slightly. The boy stared at her with almost wonder. Winn shifted uncomfortably, and Kara tried to keep smiling.

"I see. How interesting. Will, please fetch your mother, I would like to chat with her before I just leave Carter here."  
"Of course, Ms. Grant." Winn went scampering up the stairs. "I'll be right back."

Ms. Grant's gaze once again fell on Kara.

"We all were so happy to see that the Barner's house was sold. They were the most awful neighbors." The blond paused and looked more closely at Kara. "I don't suppose you have a last name, Ms. Kiera?"

"Of course. I definitely do," Kara stammered.  
"Well what is it?"

"Uh… Danvers. Kara Danvers." Kara willed her cheeks not to flush.  
"Hmm." Ms. Grant looked at her thoughtfully before her attention was redirected to someone behind Kara. "Ah. Mrs. Schott."

"Can I go now, Mom?" Carter finally spoke up. His bright blue eyes flitted to Kara before darting away.

"Yes, go have fun with Wint and Karen. I will see you later tonight."

"Bye Mom!"

Kara started to follow the two boys who seemed eager to get out of sight but Ms. Grant's voice stopped her.

"Ms. Danvers, I hope we will meet in the future." The woman's gaze was unreadable.

Kara nodded then quickly ran after Carter and Winn.

* * *

 ** _Thanks friends! Be sure to leave a review and let me know what you think :)_**

 ** _Question of the day: spring or fall?_**


	12. By Your Side

_**Hellooooooo :) Thank you all for the wonderful notes of encouragement and positivity. I read every single one and cherish them. Also I love all the different opinions on which season is the best! So fun.**_

 _ **Happy Valentines day! *hearts***_

 _ **We are back! Hope you enjoy this chapter! I bet you all can guess who the next character we will finally meet is! (although we technically have already met him...) I'm hoping to still follow some of the plot lines/happenings in the show with this fanfic. Because it's so fun to reimagine them with a little Kara!**_

 _ **I'm sorry for the cliffy at the end. Well mostly sorry. It had to happen. I'll try to update soon, especially since this chapter was somewhat filler.**_

 ** _I do not own Supergirl!_**

* * *

 _What if Kara got kidnapped? What if she had a panic attack? What if she accidentally broke something that a human could definitely not break? What if she was sad or wasn't having fun or didn't fit in…_

" _Tone it down_ ," Alex told herself. _"Kara will be just fine. She has to do this, you can't keep her hidden forever._ "

Was this what being an older sister was really like?

Except probably not because the DEO was generally monitoring Kara and making sure that she wasn't in any danger. And Kara wasn't even the same species as her.

Pushing aside her worry, Alex pulled out her laptop. She might as well use the time alone to work.

The family picture she kept on her desktop caught her eye, making her pause.

 _Dad._

Alex clicked and pulled it up, looking at the image. She must have been around sixteen, older than Kara, and her mom and dad had their arms around her, smiling at her while she laughed at the camera.

She almost hated herself for that laugh.

How could she be laughing when her dad would soon be torn away from her, their little family permanently destroyed?

Her eyes drifted back to her dad, taking in his face crinkled with happiness and gazing at her with pure affection.

 _I miss you._

She closed the image.

They were only pixels, little dots of color. That wasn't her. That wasn't her mom. That wasn't her dad.

At least, not anymore.

Anger fueled Alex's next move as she furiously began to work through the DEO system.

There had to be something, anything, _anything._

Surely Jeremiah Danvers had not just disappeared off the face of the earth. No, somebody had wiped away all trace of him in the system.

 _Henshaw._

Alex wasn't blind. Henshaw had been in charge as long as anybody could remember, with no sign of stopping. He had taken Alex on. But he had never said a word about her dad. And he would know.

Which left her with two choices.

Either her mom was lying or Hank Henshaw was.

And Alex knew her mom would never lie about something so serious, would never lie about this, would never lie about _Dad_.

That left only one person.

Alex felt the sudden need to go find Kara, to keep her close.

She would not lose another person she loved. Kara meant more to her now than almost anything. Kara was her family.

And Alex always protected her family.

* * *

Just as Alex was considering going to find Kara, the door opened.

"Alex, human boys are _weird_." Kara closed the door behind her with practiced care, treating the wood as if it were glass. Which with her strength, it just about was.

Alex grinned at the expression on the girl's face and felt relief set into her bones at the presence of Kara, clearly fine, beside her. "Tell me about it. How was visiting Winn's house?"

"It was fun. But also strange, we played this game on a screen and we were these animals in little round balls, racing… do animals really do that here?" Kara sat down next to Alex, turning her puzzled face toward her.

"No," Alex laughed. "It's just a video game. Sounds like Monkey Ball, Winn has good taste."

"There was another boy, Carter," Kara informed her. "He stared at me for, like, the whole time. But whenever I tried to talk to him, his face got bright red. Do you think he could tell I'm not human?" Her blue eyes blinked worriedly.

"Oh boy," Alex hid her smile, seeing that Kara was legitimately concerned. "I don't think that's why he was staring at you."

"I don't understand."

"You're very pretty, Kara. Maybe he likes you."

Kara's eyes widened. "Oh no! No! We do _not_ have that on Krypton. Not like that. That is very rude!"

Alex couldn't hold back her laugh. "Well it happens on Earth a lot. And if you don't like it, you have my permission to punch him."

Kara buried her head in her hands. "I do not want to talk about this."

"Okay," Alex tried to wipe away her smile with quite a bit of difficulty. "So, topic switch, what do you want to have for dinner and what do you want to do tonight?"

Kara's eyes brightened.

"I want to try a new food."  
"How about we order Chinese, I don't feel like cooking," Alex suggested.

"That is good," Kara agreed. "Take out is better than your cooking."

"Hey!" Alex raised an eyebrow. "Are you insulting my cooking?"

The smile on Kara's face grew.

"No," she shook her head.

"I think you are." Alex grabbed Kara around the waist playfully. "Let's find out if Kryptonian's are ticklish."

"Noo!" Kara's laugh filled the air as Alex tickled her sides.

And suddenly the girl was floating upward.

Still laughing, Kara suddenly realized that she was hovering a couple feet above ground.

"Whoa."

Her blue eyes shot down to meet Alex, panic creeping into them.

"It's okay," Alex said calmly, stretching out a hand towards the Kryptonian. "Can you take my hand?"

Their hands met and Alex almost was yanked upward into the air as well. She had forgotten that Kara was much stronger than her.

"Focus on the ground," Alex instructed, praying that it would work. After all, she had never taught someone how to control their power of flight before.

Thankfully, it seemed to helping. Kara slowly began drifting downward, until her tiptoes touched the ground, followed by her heels.

"Wow." Kara breathlessly glanced at her, waiting to see what her reaction was.

"Definitely wow," Alex agreed. "Looks like you got your flight."

"Looks like it." Kara copied her speech, glanced up at the ceiling contemplatively.

Alex nudged her gently. "Penny for your thoughts?"

Kara gave her a look of confusion.

"What is a penny?"  
"Never mind. I was just asking you what you were thinking about."

Kara glanced back upward, before looking out the window at the sky. Finally she turned back to Alex.

"I'm thinking that I'm hungry."

* * *

"This. Is. So. Good." Kara emphasized each word between stuffing her face full of the human food that Alex called "potstickers".

Really, it was one of the most delicious things she had ever tasted.

When she had finished the white container, Kara couldn't help but scan the brown bag of food with her x-ray vision to see if there were more of the little packages of deliciousness.

Finding what she had been looking for, she dove into the bag, fishing out the precious container, practically breathing them in.

"Don't choke." Alex was watching her bemusedly, brown eyes crinkled with a smile. Kara forced herself to slow down slightly.

"Have you had these? They are so good!" Kara offered one to the older girl. Alex just shook her head and laughed. "I think you're enjoying those way more than I would."

Guiltily happy that she didn't have to share, Kara shoved the potsticker into her mouth, closing her eyes briefly to savor it.

"I think the best thing about Earth is the food," she mumbled through a full mouth.

Alex chuckled.

"That's a fair assessment," the agent agreed.

Soon the food was gone, and to her surprise, Kara felt completely full. Sitting on the couch next to Alex, empty food containers scattered about, Kara felt something stir in her chest.  
She felt at home.

The realization hit her with a wave of both happiness and guilt while fear crept into her chest.

Only a little while ago, she had been held captive, like… like some _experiment_. Before that, her planet and family had exploded. How was she supposed to just… to just _be._

If she finally let her mind relax, she would have to face her past. Images and memories would pop up in her head and haunt her, like they did when she slept.

Being vigilant was her best defense against the threats of this world and her own mind.

But sitting on the couch, feeling warm, full, and surprisingly not alone, Kara couldn't quite force herself to pull out. She didn't want to.

Silently she found Alex's hand and clung to it.

The agent put her arm around her and pulled her closer. Surprisingly, that was exactly what Kara needed. She leaned into the touch, turning to bury her face in Alex's shoulder, when suddenly she realized her whole body was shaking with sobs as a deep sorrow swept over her.

But something about this sadness was different. It wasn't desperate or confused or scared. It hurt so badly but somehow it felt right, like stretching a cramped muscle.

Kara didn't know how long she cried, the tears seeming to flow out of all of the wounds in her soul, but Alex hugged her tight the whole time and she remembered faintly thinking that this was what having a sister meant.

* * *

A muted beeping brought Alex back into consciousness. Blearily she blinked her eyes, trying to orient herself as one hand blindly sought to locate the source of the noise.

Sitting up slightly, she became aware of another form scrunched next to her.

Ah.

She had fallen asleep on the couch with Kara. Take-out boxes were still scattered about to remind her.

Alex carefully eased herself into a sitting position, being mindful not to disturb the still-sleeping Kara, finding her phone in her pocket and turning off the alarm. They had slept through the entire night, which was a feat for Kara.

 _She must be exhausted._ Alex took a moment to adjust the couch blanket over the sleeping girl. She would not be forgetting anytime soon the way Kara had sobbed. Alex had heard people cry before, had heard Kara cry before. This had been different. Pure grief had fallen from the Kryptonian's lungs, a haunting tune of sorrow that Alex would never forget.

"I can't replace what you lost, but I'll be here," Alex murmured to Kara, tucking the blanket in more securely around the sleeping girl. "I promise."

She turned back to her phone, quickly updating herself on emails and messages.  
"Oh crap," Alex groaned, viewing her phone's calendar. She was supposed to go in to the DEO today and bring Kara with her, for a follow up appointment to see how her own injuries were healing as well as to continue monitoring Kara's recovery and power development.

Sighing, Alex turned back to Kara. Hopefully the appointments wouldn't take long.

As she reached forward to wake the girl, a sudden doubt rose in her mind.

Could she really trust the DEO? Henshaw? How deep did the secrets run?

And was it a place that she wanted to bring Kara into?

Alex bit her lip lightly, brow furrowing.

Right now, they didn't have much of an option. It was better to keep up a pretense until she could figure out what was really going on and _then_ act.

Despite her hesitations, she woke Kara.

Hopefully the appointments wouldn't take long.

* * *

"How are you doing?" Alex grabbed Kara's hand as the girl sat on the examination table.

"I don't want to be here," Kara's voice was small, her blue eyes fixed on Alex's face. Alex had already gotten her check up done, and although they had offered to do them both at the same time, Alex refused to let Kara out of her sight.  
Not until she knew what was going on.

"Yeah, me either. But we'll be heading back soon."

"Why do they need to do a check up on me, I'm fine," Kara crossed her arms, a stubborn look appearing on her face.

"They just want to make sure everything is okay. You're not invincible," Alex reminded her gently. "There's been a lot going on. But if you aren't comfortable with this, we can go home right now."  
Once, Alex might have tried to persuade Kara to cooperate, might have advocated for the importance of gathering knowledge for future benefit, but Alex was not a scientist right now. She was a big sister and she had a little sister to take care of. Plus there was Rule #2 to follow.

 _You cannot study me or take me places without my permission._

"Do you want me to do this?"

Alex was very aware that Kara was watching her carefully.

"I want you to do whatever you want to do."

"Then let's go." Kara found her gaze and Alex was pleased that the Kryptonian was asserting her opinion and decision.

"I'm definitely with you. We have been here way too long."

Kara hopped off the table and they headed out the door into the long hallway, Alex waving off the protesting DEO specialists.

"Agent Danvers! Where are you going?"

Slowly Alex turned, unconsciously putting herself between Henshaw and Kara.

"Home, sir."

The director's eyes narrowed, his mouth opening to say more as Alex tensed when suddenly the ground rocked beneath their feet, throwing them down.

They were plunged into darkness.

* * *

 _ **Sorry not sorry... :D**_

 ** _Question of the Day, Valentine's Day Edition: Are you a hugger or no?_**


	13. Solidarity Born Of Chaos

**_MY BEAUTIES! I am SO sorry for falling off the face of FanFiction. I had midterms and everything was crazy for awhile! Thankfully I made it through, phew._**

 ** _It's gonna be a short author's note because I am super tight on time right now. Thank you all for the wonderful reviews and comments, and those who followed or favorited, I SEE YOU! I APPRECIATE YOU! Thank you thank you thank you! YOU are my inspiration. Along with my cat :)_**

 _ **I hope you enjoy the chapter! I didn't proofread very carefully so I hope the errors are minimal... I'm not very good at writing action, so sorry if it's choppy there.**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own Supergirl, but that would be sweet if I did. Just let me know if if it's ever up for grabs.**_

* * *

"Alex!"

She could hear Kara's frightened cry but couldn't see her in the dark.

And then they were pulled back into the light as the back up power came back on, alarms blaring and flashing red surrounding them.

Grabbing Kara's hand, Alex pulled her closer before turning to Henshaw, face pale.

"The inmates. It's possible that one of them could have escaped between the black out and back up power."

"The emergency lockdown is already in place. Unless we override it, we are all stuck here." Henshaw's form was already moving towards the monitors.

Alex tightened her hold on Kara's hand, a feeling of dread slowly spreading through her chest as they jogged after Henshaw.

"Alex, what's happening?" Kara's grip on her hand was crushing, but Alex pushed away the pain.

"Just stay with me, okay? There was an earthquake and it knocked out the power and we have to make sure that everything is secure. Don't let go of my hand, okay?"

She could barely make out Kara's nod in the chaos of lights and sirens but was satisfied by the presence of the Kryptonian's hand securely in hers.

The two agents scanned the screens, which were flickering on the auxiliary power and Alex's heart dropped.

It wasn't anything that she saw that frightened her.

No, it was the lack something that had icy fear spreading throughout her chest.

One of the prisoners had gotten out.

Not just any prisoner.

Jemm the Red Saturnian.

* * *

"We're going to have to stop him." Henshaw was already pulling out his gun, dark eyes narrow with determination. "If Jemm escapes from this facility, it would mean nothing but death and destruction. He has the ability to control minds. Nobody will be safe."

Alex pulled her boss aside briefly. "What about Kara?" Alex hissed. "She's just a kid."

"We will have to override an exit to get her out. It is safest if you both stay with me and we try to get there together."

Alex set her jaw and returned his determined nod before quickly turning back to Kara, trying to push away her doubts about Hank Henshaw and whether or not she really could trust him.

"Hey, it's going to be okay, alright? We're going to go to the exit and I'm going to get you home, okay?"

Kara gave a small nod, clinging to her hand like a lifeline.

"Let's move," Director Henshaw moved them around the corner, quickly barking orders to other agents as well. They stopped at a room, Alex quickly passing out headpieces.

"Neural protectors. These will protect your mind from Jemm."

A scream rang out above the alarms.

Alex squeezed Kara's hand reassuringly, slowly backing them up.

"He's close," she murmered to the director, whose mouth was set in a grim line. She touched her earpiece. "Agent Peter's comm disconnected."

"I know you are there, humans." A deep voice called out, almost playfully.

 _"Shit."_

They retreated back to a hidden corner, Alex wrapping her arms around Kara as she and Henshaw tried to find some sense in the chaos that was erupting in their earpieces.

Another cry pierced the air before cutting off abruptly.

"Alex…" Kara's face was pale, her hands covering her ears. "Alex, I'm scared."

"Hey, focus on me. Look at me. We are going to get out of this." Alex pulled her closer, lacing her words with a confidence she didn't feel.

"Agent Danvers, we are running out of options," Henshaw spoke briskly as he checked the ammo in his gun. "I will take Kara to the exit. Two will be able to travel more easily than three. I need you to gather whoever is left and blockade the access to the computer systems to buy us some time."

Icy doubt spread through Alex's chest.

There was no way she would let Henshaw take Kara.

"No."

"Excuse me?" Hank's eyebrows shot upward.

"Kara and I stay together." It was a statement.

"Alex, if we are going to get through this, I need you to trust me." Director Henshaw's whole body was tense, like a tightly wound spring. "This is not the time for sentimental attachment. If we are going to get Kara out of here and stop Jemm, she needs to go with me. I can get her out."

"She stays with me." Alex clenched her jaw.

"Dammit Alex, this is an order not a suggestion. Kara, come with me…" Henshaw took a step towards Kara, reaching to grab her hand.

Alex drew her gun and placed herself between Kara and Henshaw, feeling only a slight stab of guilt at the look of surprise and betrayal on her boss's face. She had to protect Kara.

"Don't touch her."

"What the hell is this Alex?! I'm trying to get her to safety! I'm not the enemy here!" Hank grit out, raising his hands.

"Want to tell that to my mom? Or how about my dad?" Alex's voice trembled slightly but her grip on the gun was steady. Kara's presence behind her gave her strength.

"What the hell are you talking about, Alex?"

"He worked here. My dad. Before he disappeared. _And you never said a word._ You erased all traces of him, lied to me. So if you try to take Kara, I will shoot you." Alex shifted her weight slightly. "I will not lose another family member to you."

"Alex you have no idea what you're talking about."

"I think I do. If you didn't notice, I lost my _dad_ …"

"Alex!" Kara's fearful cry caused the agents to pause their fight and spin around.

Jemm, Son of Saturn was walking straight towards them, a slight smile on his face.

* * *

"Run!" Henshaw was already rushing at the alien, bullets pouring from his gun.

A flash of red light shot from the jewel on Jemm's forehead, slamming Alex against a wall.  
There was thud as Henshaw's charge was halted abruptly as Jemm threw him across the room. His neural protector clattered to the floor.

"Kara, find a place to hide and do not come out…" Alex set her jaw determinedly, realizing that her chances of making it out were slim. But she could still give Kara a chance.

"No." Kara stood firm.

"Kara, _go_!"

They backed up, Alex firing desperately at the approaching alien, already knowing that her bullets were doing nothing.

Suddenly her vision flared red as an energy blast hit the ground between her and Kara, throwing her back. Dazed, she scrambled to her feet, heart pounding with panic as she realized Kara was no longer by her side.

"Kara!"

The girl had been knocked the other way, Jemm standing over her small form.

All sense of ration and reason drained from Alex's body, desperation running through her veins instead. "No!" Alex threw her body forward only to be knocked back and pinned to the ground by a metal cabinet that Jemm tore from the wall.

"No!" Alex screamed, struggling against the heavy metal that pinned her down, watching helplessly as Jemm turned back on Kara.

"This must be the little Kryptonian I saw in those boring minds of the other agents." Jemm sneered at Kara, who backed away until her back hit the wall. "Did you know how long I spent in Fort Rozz because of a Kryptonian? I can't reach that one, so you will have to be my consolation prize," the alien growled.

Somehow in the midst of the chaos, Kara's blue eyes found Alex's gaze.

And then the girl launched herself at the larger alien, blue shooting from her eyes.

Jemm jerked back in pain, his roar splitting the air.

Kara streaked around him, a blur, as Jemm fired red energy from his brow.

One of the blasts caught Kara, bringing her crashing to the ground. Jemm grabbed her by the throat and pinned her against the wall.

"Did you really think you could take me down, little girl? I will rip you from limb to limb, Kryptonian. You will pay for the acts of your kind!"  
Alex watched in horror as the alien's brow began to glow once again, Kara gasping for air.

Suddenly a streak of green hit the red.

Kara fell to the ground, Jemm already tussling with the new opponent.

* * *

Kara didn't register the fact that she was back on the ground, only that she was able to breathe again. Oxygen flowed into her lungs as relief filled her. For a moment the only thing she could do was take in the air.

Then the situation hit her full force.

Kara only cared about one thing.

She streaked across the hall, desperately lifting up the cabinet trapping Alex.  
"Kara, oh my god, Kara." Alex pulled her tight, face pale. "I thought…"

A roar from Jemm made them spin around, Kara clinging to Alex's arm, trying to push away the fear that was filling her.

She could be brave like Alex. She would not let her down.

To her surprise, Jemm was on his knees. Next to him was Hank Henshaw.

"What the…" Beside her Alex was frozen.

And then Henshaw delivered one concise blow and the red alien fell to the ground unconscious.

"We have to get him secured before he regains consciousness."

"How did you…"

Henshaw's dark eyes shone with resignation and he took a step towards them. Kara glanced up at Alex, seeing the tension in the younger agent's posture.

"Don't come closer," Alex warned, and Kara felt the woman's grip on her hand tighten.

"I can explain. I can explain everything, Alex. About your father. I promise, I'm not the enemy."

"Stay back," Alex's voice was hard. "I'm not interested in what you have to say."

Kara bit her lip. She was ready to protect Alex if she had to. Yet something in Henshaw's posture was different… he seemed less threatening, his composure somehow softer.

"Your father was put on a mission to hunt down a fugitive alien…"

"He would never do that!"

"I know." Hank held up his hands. "He realized that the alien was innocent and acted to save him. Both he and Hank Henshaw died in the process."  
Kara could feel Alex become very still beside her.

"You are that alien." Alex's voice was low.

Henshaw dipped his head towards her, his eyes shining with the truth.

"Hank Henshaw was an evil man who was cruel and hated all other forms of life. If he had been here when we found Kara, he would have never let her out of this facility." Henshaw's gaze fell on Kara and they made eye contact before he lifted his head to face Alex. "I took Hank Henshaw's form and became him in order to keep _all_ life forms safe. And I promised your father that I would look out for you, so when you were old enough, I recruited you."

It was silent for a moment, the noise of blaring alarms once more filling the air.

"What is your name?"

Kara could hear the slight tremble in Alex's voice.

"J'onn J'onzz."

"Show me." The tremble was gone and Alex's words were firm.

The man before them nodded slightly before his image stretched and shifted, revealing a tall green figure.

A Green Martian.

Kara's eyes widened. She had only ever seen Green Martians in her books and instructional holograms. Yet here one was, on Earth of all places.

"Kara and her cousin are not the only ones who lost their planet." J'onn J'onzz looked at her with an unreadable expression. "I am sorry I lied to you Alex. But let me assure you that I would never harm Kara or you. Why do you think that I let Kara leave this facility with you? Or why I have kept her out of all media and why she has such freedom to live out in the open? I know how people hunt down and restrain those who are different."

Kara slipped her hand out of Alex's, taking a step forward. She met J'onn's dark eyes.  
"You lost your planet too?"

J'onn slowly knelt. With his face at the same level as hers, she could look directly at his face. "Not in the exact same way as you, Kara Zor-El. My planet is still there physically. But my family, friends, our civilization, my species… I am the only one left."

Kara wasn't exactly sure what was going on. She didn't know what Alex was referring to about her father, and knew Alex was still suspicious, worried the man was lying, and she trusted Alex. There seemed to be a lot of factors up in the air that Kara didn't understand.

But looking into the eyes of J'onn J'onzz, she knew he was telling the truth about his planet. Because he had the same exact look in his eyes that Kara saw in her own in the mirror every morning.

She silently reached out and took the large green hand of J'onn J'onzz and for a moment they stayed in that position.

They didn't say a word.

They didn't need to.

* * *

 ** _Since Kara is younger in this fic, I definitely want to play up her relationship with J'onn!_**

 _ **Question of the day: should I keep doing the question of the day?**_

 _ **I find it interesting and fun to read everyone's response but idk if it's getting annoying for you all?**_


	14. Fall Apart, Fall Together

_**Just a short chapter to hold you all until I decide what is going to happen next in this story... I think I might re-introduce some scientists from the first chapter, because I'm evil like that and I would like to get to some major angst because... well... I like angst. That's pretty much the sum of it.**_

 _ **Thanks for all the responses and encouragement! You all are truly amazing and an inspiration! Also Question of the Day is staying :)**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own Supergirl or any of its characters or all that**_

* * *

There were so many things that Alex wanted to say as they drove home.

Kara silent in the back and Alex wondered briefly if her presence was the only reason that she had been able to hold herself together thus far.

Hank Henshaw. J'onn J'onzz. Her dad. Kara. Jemm.

Faces swam before her eyes, shifting and combining.

What could she say? How on earth could she comment on what had just happened, take the ideas in and somehow transform them into words? It would be like trying to bottle a tornado.

In the end, it was Kara who broke the silence.

"Are you okay?"

The Kryptonian girl's voice was soft, unsure. She wasn't expecting Alex to offer her a bottled summarization of what had happened, only wanting a glimpse of the winds churning her mind.

"I'm not sure." That felt right, Alex reflected as she spoke the words. "But I will be. How are you doing?"

She glanced back to where Kara was sitting in the back seat, looking so small against the black fabric of the seat.

"I was scared."

"I'm so sorry this happened, Kara." Alex bit her lip. "I'm so sorry I couldn't stop Jemm from attacking you…"  
"I was scared…" Kara interrupted her, "because he hurt you."

"Oh." Alex closed her mouth.

"I thought that he would kill you because I wasn't strong enough. I tried but I couldn't stop him."

Alex pulled into the driveway and put the car into park before fully turning to face Kara.

"None of what happened was your fault, Kara. You should have never been in that situation to begin with." Alex's emotions were beginning to catch up with her body and she suddenly felt breathless at the onslaught. "Next I tell you to get out of there, _you need to listen to me._ You could have easily been killed." She was aware of the sudden force behind her words but could do nothing to stop it, even as she saw Kara's body physically recoil.

"You are displeased." Kara's blue eyes found hers, Kryptonian formality creeping into her words.

"Damn it, Kara, you almost died!" Alex slammed her hand down on the seat of the car, body almost shaking. "He had you in his hands and was choking you… I can't… I couldn't have…" She fought for her composure with little success. "Next time I tell you to go, _you go!_ " She set her jaw.

As her chest heaved with emotions she couldn't untangle and the words stopped falling out of her mouth, she stopped looking at Kara and finally _saw_ her.

The blonde girl was tense, her face blank, hands curled into fists at her side.

"The only role I have played is the one to go, to be sent away, to be the one who survives to face the wreckage alone. I cannot do it again."

"Kara…" Alex's heart plummeted as she replayed her own words in her mind. "Kara, I'm sorry…"

But it was too late; the Kryptonian had already disappeared into the house.

* * *

"You okay?"

Winn's kind eyes were concerned as he looked up from the human game he had been teaching her.

"Yes," Kara lied, wrapping her arms around herself. She had left the house as soon as possible, only pausing to curtly let Alex know where she was going.

"That earthquake was crazy, huh?" Winn seemed to sense that she didn't want to talk about what was going on but couldn't quite hold himself back.

"Yes." Kara moved her game disk from one square to another. "It was crazy." Her smile was so fake that even she could feel it.

"Are you _sure_ everything is okay?"

"Yes everything is okay, Winn!" Kara slammed her hand down on the small game table so hard that it cracked in half, pieces flying everywhere.

"I am so sorry!" Kara scrambled around the room, trying to chase the red and black disks that had rolled everywhere.

"Dang…" Winn was just staring at the pieces of the table. "I always knew that table was getting old but I definitely did not expect _that_ to happen."

"I am so so sorry," Kara's face flushed.

"It's okay," Winn waved it off, grabbing the game box and helping her gather the pieces. "My mom has been dying to replace that anyways, now she has a reason."

For a moment they just picked up pieces and splinters of wood.

"So I'm guessing you don't want to talk about it, if the split table is any sign…" Winn glanced over at her.

"Talk about what?" Kara furrowed her brow.

Winn just raised his eyebrows at her.

"It's just…" Kara bit her lip. "Everyone thinks that they know what's best for me, without letting me decide."

"Did you fight with your foster mom?" Winn looked sympathetic.

"Sister," Kara corrected him automatically, playing with the plastic pieces.

"Sorry, sister." Winn glanced at her. "Hey, I get it. My dad always wants me to be someone I'm not. He wants me to be like him, make toys and stuff. But he never asks me what _I_ want to do. I tried to show him something I programmed and he barely looked at it," Winn glanced down at his hands. "I know it isn't the same…"

"No, it's helpful," Kara smiled slightly. "Really. I just… I don't know. I… I've already lost everyone. I don't want to lose Alex too."

"You won't." Winn's response was firm. "And you have me. And Carter too. As friends." He gave her a slightly lopsided smile.  
"Thanks Winn." Her smile this time was genuine.

There was a knock at the door and Winn's mom emerged from the study to open it. Kara glanced around the corner to find Alex standing in the doorway. The agent had changed into a plain shirt and jeans, but she looked uncomfortable as she shifted her weight from foot to foot.  
"It's Alex. I should go." Kara gave Winn a quick wave before making her way to the door.

"Oh, hey." Alex's brown eyes brightened as she saw her before suddenly dimming and darting away. "Thank you so much for having Kara, Mrs. Schott."

"Anytime. Winn is always talking about her…"

"Mom!" Winn's cheeks were on fire.  
"I'm really glad Kara has found such a good friend," Alex smiled. "Well it's late so we'd better head out."

"Thank you!" Kara called before the door shut and it was just her and Alex.

They walked over the their house in silence, Alex holding the door open for her and Kara stepping in without acknowledging her.

She started going up the stairs to her room when Alex stopped her.

"Kara, I'm sorry."

Slowly she turned around.

"I shouldn't have gotten mad." Alex posture was slumped, looking down; the most defeated Kara had seen her. "I wasn't mad at you, I was mad at myself, for failing you, mad at Hank for what he did to my family…" Alex took a deep breath, lifting her gaze. "And I was scared. I wasn't trying to tell you to go away, I was trying to tell you to be safe. Because… because I can't keep you safe, not the way you deserve. You deserve so much more, Kara. You deserve safety and happiness… and I can't give that to you. You could have been killed and I couldn't do anything, but if you hadn't been with me, you would have been safe."

Kara took a step forward, her eyes on the tears that were running down the agent's face, trying to blink back her own. She swallowed hard, finding her words.

"I need you. I need you, Alex. You're my family, you're my _sister._ " Kara shook her head. "I… I'm never going to get a chance to go back. I'm never going to see my mom, my dad, my friends… I'm never going to see them again. They're gone and they are never coming back." Now she was crying. "I can't lose my sister too. I know you want to protect me, but if I had the chance, I would go back and fight for my family. And I will fight for you because I can't lose you, Alex."

She felt Alex's arms wrap around her and she clung tight.

"You will not lose me. No matter what, I will find you. But you're so new to earth, Kara, and you're young. I need you to also trust that I have the skills and training to handle these situations. I need you to trust that I will come back."  
"What about today?" Kara looked up at her. "We were all going to die."

"Today was a freak accident with the earthquake. Also now you know that I have J'onn J'onzz also looking out for me. And apparently he's pretty tough."

Kara smiled slightly at that. Green Martians were strong and the thought that Alex had one who was on her side made her feel better.

"Okay." She nodded.

Alex pulled her tighter.

"I love you."  
"I love you too."

* * *

 _ **Not really sure what will happen next so... what do YOU want to see? Inspire me! I can't promise I'll go that route but I'll definitely read it and consider it!**_

 _ **Question of the day: hot drinks or cold drinks?**_

 _ **Extra credit question: what's your favorite drink?**_


	15. New Normal

_**OH MY GOSH I AM SO SORRY I DISAPPEARED!**_

 _ **You still there? You still with me? I won't blame you if you hate me and have cast off this story forever, although I hope you haven't.**_

 _ **I totally didn't mean to do it, everything got crazy and I just had to put writing this on the back burner. But I'm back and so sorry for leaving. I would never ever abandon you though. Even if it takes years, I will always come back to you. (Don't worry though, I'm not planning on taking years)**_

 _ **A huge thanks to the people who reviewed and messaged me! Honestly, that's what made me carve out the time to write up another chapter. And I'm going to try to better from here on out; I think I have a vision for where the story is going. Who knows. It might change.**_

 _ **Thank you thank you thank you! Please enjoy this chapter!**_

 _ **Disclaimer: Unfortunately in my time away, I did not acquire ownership of Supergirl or any of her characters/stories. So I still own nothing. I just play.**_

* * *

"If you could be anyone, who would you be?"

Alex glanced briefly at the rearview mirror and saw that Kara was looking out the window intently.

"That's an interesting question," she commented lightly, fixing her attention on the road. "I guess I would just stick to being me. What about you?"

Kara was silent for a moment.

"I don't know," she said finally, voice thick with a mixture of emotions.

Alex knew where this was coming from; after all, they were driving to Kara's first day of school and the young Kryptonian was preparing to fully embrace a human façade.

"At the lab, they said nobody on Earth wanted aliens here, that they were doing everyone a favor by keeping me away."

Kara's voice was small and Alex nearly froze at the wheel as the girl's words sunk in. It was rare that Kara brought up her first months on the planet; what Alex had managed to coax out was enough to make her blood boil.

This new information was no exception.

"Kara…" Alex bit her lip and wished she wasn't driving so that she could wrap the girl in a hug. "You know that the reason we can't tell people where you're from is for your safety, right? It's not because people wouldn't love you if they knew. Those…" She stumbled for a word that wasn't obscene. "Those _people_ at that lab, they were bad people. Really really bad people. What they said wasn't true."

"But why do I have to hide who I am to be safe if that isn't true?" Kara's voice rose slightly with distress. Alex sighed slightly.

If only she could offer Kara a world where nobody valued individuals differently based on where they were from or what they looked like.

"Kara," Alex wrapped her fingers around the steering wheel, easing the car to a stop at a red light. "Did you have people who hurt others on Krypton?"

"Yes." Kara's response was automatic. "My mother's job as a judge was to decide their level of guilt and assign punishment accordingly."

 _Kara's mother was a judge?_

Alex stored that piece information away to digest at a time when she wasn't dealing with a small Kryptonian existential crisis.

"Well Earth is no different; we have those types of people too. But the problem is, sometimes those behaviors are not punished."

"I don't understand. Why would evil not be punished? That is wrong."

Alex worried her lower lip, trying to find the correct words.

"Not everyone who is in power here wants to do the right thing. Sometimes they only want to protect themselves from what they don't understand. And when they are the ones who write the laws, it's hard to protect the ones who aren't understood."

It was silent for a moment before Kara spoke.

"Like me. They don't understand me so the laws don't protect me."

Alex couldn't stand it anymore; she pulled the car into a random parking lot and put it in park so that she could climb into the backseat.

Kara had pushed herself back against the fabric of the seat, looking very small, her blonde hair falling into her face.

"Hey." Alex brushed the stray strands of hair out of Kara's large blue eyes. "No matter what happens, I will protect you. And other will too. There are people fighting for you every single day. Most humans are good, Kara, I promise. And someday, the people who don't understand things that are different won't be in power anymore. But until then, we need to be careful."

Kara buried her face in Alex's shirt.

"Okay." The word was soft but firm.

Alex pulled Kara closer, kissing her forehead. She wished that ever anti-alien agency and advocacy group could see Kara the way that she did; as someone intrinsically valuable, someone who deserved to be safe and loved.

Until then, she was fine fighting with all she had to give Kara that safety and love.

* * *

Kara kind of wished that she could just stay in the car with Alex and go back home with her. But the other part of her was so excited when they pulled into the school entrance that she could barely sit still.

Her talk with Alex bolstering her, Kara picked up her backpack and unbuckled as they came to a halt in front of a swarm of young humans. Other cars were lining up to do the same, kids jumping out of cars and running to join others.

"Hold up, we're parking and I'm coming in with you," Alex stopped her.  
"Alex, I'm not a baby," Kara protested. "We already went over what I'm supposed to do like fifty million times."

She was secretly happy that Alex just shot her a look and ignored her complaint.

They parked and walked in, Kara hanging onto her backpack straps and wondering why humans used such primitive means of carrying their items.

"Kara."

Alex's call caught her attention and she realized she was lagging behind. Quickly she hurried up to be back at the agent's side. Alex looked like an agent even in a t-shirt and jeans, Kara decided.

And she was nervous, Kara noticed. Her left hand was drumming lightly against her thigh, eyes darting and her smile tight.

Kara could see why she was nervous; this place was _chaos_. Kids were gathered in different places, laughing, yelling, screaming…

"This way," Alex caught her hand for a moment, giving it a slight squeeze.

Kara nodded, trying to look everywhere at once, fear and excitement waging a war in her chest.

"Are you okay?" Alex pulled her aside outside a door marked _Main Office_.

Excitement won.

"I love it here," Kara beamed. "I _love_ it!"

Somehow the chaos was freeing, the polar opposite of the lab and the DEO, and Kara had the feeling that she could disappear into this crowd of children and just be another face.

After being singled out for so long, there was nothing she would rather do.

No agents, no laboratories, no people who knew what really happened in her life. She was getting a fresh start and a chance to find a new normal.

Alex gave her a smile, a real one this time.

"Come on. Let's check you in."

They had already gotten her schedule and Kara had the layout of the school memorized but she followed Alex into the office anyways. She looked around as Alex talked to the man at the desk.

"You're all set." The man handed a small booklet to her which had "Planner" printed across the top. "Welcome to North River School."

"Thank you." Kara wrapped her fingers around the slick plastic cover.

When she turned to leave, she saw a familiar rumpled head of dark hair.

"Winn!" Kara actually jumped forward and hugged him, she was so happy to see him.

Winn's face flamed bright red but he was smiling from ear to ear.

"You made it! Let me see your schedule!" He was already reaching for the pink piece of paper that was the schedule copy the office had given Kara. "Oh my gosh! We have all our classes together!" he gasped. "This is awesome!"

Kara glanced at Alex who just winked.

Then Kara turned back to Winn, her smile growing. "Let's go!"

* * *

 _ **I wanted to make school a happier experience for Kara since her life has been super rough (omg pun lol sorry). Next chapter will probably be focused on Kara and Winn's friendship, but not 100% sure. At this point anything could happen.**_

 _ **Question of the day: Fruity candy or chocolate?**_

 _ **Bonus question: What is the coolest thing you've gone as for Halloween? Or, if you don't Halloween, if you could dress up as anything, what would you be?**_

 _ **~silverlining**_


	16. Life on Earth

_**Thank you all so much for the beautiful comments! (also you all are very creative and your costumes sound amazing).**_

 _ **I have an 8:30 am class in the morning so I'm gonna keep the note brief.**_

 _ **This chapter is a little sporadic but I hope you enjoy it! I'm happy with the way things are going.**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I don't own anything, that would be DC.**_

* * *

Alex couldn't focus.  
She stared at her laptop, willing it to somehow capture her attention when her mind was anywhere but on the words on the screen.

Her cellphone rang. She picked it up before the first ring ended.

"How is she?" she asked J'onn.

"She's fine, Alex. Have you been worrying about her this whole time?" His voice was deep and friendly in a way that she had never heard when he was pretending to be Hank Henshaw.

"Let me have access to the surveillance," Alex pleaded.

"Come on, Alex. We're trying to let her have a normal school experience. We agreed that those were for emergencies only."

"I know." Alex ran a hand through her hair. "I'm just nervous."

"I can tell." She could feel J'onn's smile through the phone. "She's probably safer there in the crowd than with us."

Alex let out a long breath. "So if Kara is fine, what is this call about?"

The brief silence was just long enough to make Alex alarmed.

"J'onn." Her voice hardened.

He sighed, a deep weariness in the sound.

"We've got a lead on the lab where we found Kara."

Alex clutched the phone more tightly.

"Have you heard of Cadmus?"

* * *

"Huh. You're really good at math." Winn leaned over his earth desk to look at Kara's paper.

"What?" Kara looked up, cheeks flushed slightly. She may or may not have been listening to the teacher's conversation with a student out in the hall. This human education system was fascinatingly inefficient yet endearing at the same time.

"You finished before me," Winn motioned at his math problems. "I mean, barely."

"Oh," Kara looked down at her paper, which had a couple large graphite smudges on it from where she had pressed the pencil down too hard and snapped off the tip. "I had a lot of math at my last school."

In Krypton they had done this type of math when she was like five-years-old.

A bell rang and Kara jumped slightly.

Winn grinned, dark eyes crinkling slightly. "Come on! It's lunch time."

If the halls were chaos, the cafeteria was full out pandemonium.

Kara was extremely thankful that she had practiced her controlling her super-hearing before coming to school.

"You can sit with us," Winn tugged on her arm, leading her to a table where a couple of kids were already sitting. "Hey guys, this is Kara."

They smiled at her and a couple of them waved. Kara beamed back, sitting down carefully.  
The girl on her right was typing on a laptop, her wavy red hair falling into her green eyes, but she paused long enough to offer Kara a hand, her grip firm.

"Barbara Gordon."

"Nice to meet you," Kara smiled.

"You know Carter," Winn motioned at the curly auburn haired boy who gave her a big smile.

"Hey Carter," Kara waved.

"I'm James Olson." A boy with chocolate skin flashed her a bright smile that made her instantly like him. "I only occasionally hang out with these nerds," he said but Kara could tell his tone was teasing.

"Kara is Carter and I's neighbor," Winn explained.

"What's your schedule?" Barbara wanted to know. Kara pulled it out and they crowded around it.

"Sweet. We have science together," Barbara looked genuinely pleased and Kara felt a warm rush of happiness wash over her. Winn had such great friends and now she was going to be friends with them too!

"And I have English with you," James grinned.

"Darn, we don't have any classes together," Carter said sadly then blushed.

"We have lunch," Kara reassured him. "So far this is my favorite class."

They all laughed and settled down around their lunches, the conversation drifting from homework to teachers to some computer game Kara didn't know. She contributed a little bit but mostly ate her lunch and watched the others and looked around the cafeteria.

There were so many different types of humans.

Back on Krypton, everyone dressed similarly and behaved similarly. It was appropriate and expected.

Here, there was every outfit imaginable. Some kids were yelling. Others were silent. Talking, reading, throwing food… an adult was scolding on table but it didn't seem particularly scary, more admonishing. This was a space where someone could be whoever they wanted.

Kara loved it.

Her eyes fell on a girl sitting alone at a table in the corner, dark hair falling into her face as she bent over a book.

"Hey _geeks_."

Kara spun to find a larger boy squeezing in between her and Winn, draping his arm across Winn's shoulders.

"You know that isn't even an insult, Chester," Barbara glared at the boy. "It's just you admitting that we're smarter than you. Which is accurate."

"Don't touch me!" Winn's face was dark as he flung Chester's arm off him.

"What, upset that your daddy works for mine now that his stupid company failed?" Chester taunted.

"Shut up!" Winn jaw trembled.

"Lay off, dude," James warned Chester.

"And who are you?"

Suddenly Kara found herself being examined by the older boy, his narrowed brown eyes looking at her as if she were an object. "New girl? You know you're at the loser table, right?"

"That's enough."

Chester was yanked backward and Kara turned to see that Barbara had stood up and grabbed the back of the boy's shirt.

So quickly that Kara barely knew what was happening, a crowd of students had formed around them. Barbara was cracking her knuckles and Chester's face was almost as red as the strawberries Alex had bought for Kara.

"Whoa, whoa." James pulled Barbara back. "Just because your dad is the chief of police doesn't mean you're not going to get expelled after another fight!" Kara heard him whisper urgently.

"But it would so be worth it," Barbara growled softly.

Chester just grinned.

"Chester Junior Dunholtz! Barbara Gordon!" A deep voice boomed and the kids scattered as a tall man approached them, his arms crossed. "Again?"

"She showed restraint!" James was quick to defend Barbara.  
"He was teasing Winn!" Carter voiced his support. Winn just stared down at the table, hands balled into fists.

"Mr. Cheng, they were ganging up on me! I just wanted to offer Winn help with his homework because I know his family is going through a hard time," Chester's dark eyes were wide and innocent.

"That's not true!" Kara exclaimed angrily.

Suddenly all eyes were on her and she bit her lip and shrunk back a little. Whoops.

"You must be Kara Danvers," Mr. Cheng gave her a slight smile. "I'm sorry to meet under these chaotic circumstances but I am glad you are here. If you don't mind, maybe you could tell me what happened?"

He wanted _her_ to tell what happened?

Kara glanced at Barbara who nodded.

"Um." She swallowed. "Uh, Chester," she pointed at him just in case she didn't get his name right. "Chester came and sat between Winn and I. He started saying things about Winn's dad that made Winn angry. Barbara pulled him away but they never actually fought." Kara glanced up at the man. "That's what happened."

"Thank you, Kara," Mr. Chen nodded at her then shifted his attention back to Chester and Barbara. "Chester, please come with me. The rest of you, lunch is over; why don't you go to your classes."

Kara decided, as she scurried to English class with James and Winn, that Mr. Cheng was a fair and nice man.

She was going to have to ask Winn later about what Chester had said about his dad.

Until then, she was determined to enjoy the rest of her day.

* * *

"Take a breath, Kara," Alex smiled at the young girl in front of her.

Kara had talked non-stop about her day at school, and from what Alex could gather, it was mainly a positive experience.

Alex made a mental note to find a way to thank Winn for being such a great friend. Having someone on your side at school made all the difference.

As Kara paused to gasp for air, Alex pushed the vegetables toward her.

Her relief at having Kara back in her presence was somewhat overwhelming. After J'onn had laid out the situation with Cadmus, Alex had almost gone to the school to get Kara.

 _Alien dissections._

Alex felt her stomach roll as she closed her eye briefly, remembering how J'onn had laid out the information they had found linking the lab Kara had been found at to Cadmus.

"How is this legal?" she had demanded. "We have to do something!"

"We don't have any rights, Alex. Most people don't even know we're here." J'onn's voice was heavy.

"Can we get them for the illegal chemicals?" Alex had begun pacing.

"The connection isn't strong enough to hold up against Cadmus's lawyers. They aren't going to take the fall for what they did; they'll just claim they have no affiliation with the lab."

Alex had let out a stream of curses before asking her next question.  
"Do they know where Kara is now?"

Thankfully there was no hesitation preluding the answer.

"No."

"Thank god. I mean, we just sent Kara to school."

There was a pause.  
"Alex, I need you on a field mission," J'onn had said finally.

"I'm ready." Her answer was quick. "Just got the medical clearance."

Then she stopped.

"What about Kara?"

"We'll send over an agent."

Alex pressed her lips together and J'onn seemed to sense her displeasure through the phone.

"I need you on this mission. It's about the lab."

Alex bit her lip.

She wanted to go back into the field. She was made for it and she missed it. But she wasn't about to have some stranger watch Kara.

"I'll go on one condition."

"What?"

"My mom is the one who comes to watch her."

The sound of glass shattering brought Alex back to the present moment and she automatically got up to help Kara clean up the broken glass.

"Why haven't I replaced these with plastic cups?" she wondered aloud, shooting Kara a teasing smile.

"Whoops. I was a little excited," Kara said sheepishly. "Here, I'll get it." The girl suddenly started moving so fast that her form was only a blur and a few seconds later Kara stopped and held out a handful of glass.

"Wow, have you been working on your super speed?" Alex raised her eyebrows.

Kara shrugged, flickering for a moment as she deposited the glass in the trashcan and came back in less than a second.

"What were you thinking about?" Kara asked, blue eyes fixed on her face.

Somehow, Kara seemed to have developed the ability to read Alex; a skill that Alex sometimes wished she didn't have. "What is it?" Kara's face grew increasingly worried and Alex was reminded of just how young the Kryptonian was.

"I'm going on a mission with J'onn," Alex told her.

"No!" Kara's reaction was instantaneous, her eyes widened with alarm, fear settling among her features. "Alex!"

"Hey, it's going to be fine. Really. I'll be back before you know it."

Kara's hands were crumpled into fists and Alex could see that she was trying to fight her panic.

"Hey." Alex uncurled one of her fists, took her hand, and led them to the couch. "It's going to be okay."

"No, no, no," Kara pushed away, jaw clenching. "You said you wouldn't leave me!" Her voice was a mixture of anger and fear that made Alex want to wrap her arms around Kara and tell her she wouldn't go.

But Kara was ready for this. She had to stay firm.

"Kara, I'm not leaving you," she said softly. "Kara."

She could only see a head full of blonde hair as the girl stared resolutely the other way.

"Kara, please, look at me."

Slowly Kara turned and Alex could see the tears forming in those achingly blue eyes. "You said you wouldn't leave!" Kara's voice was softer this time. "You promised." A tear slipped down her face.

"I'm not leaving, Kara." Alex stroked her hair. "I will drop you off at school, then someone else will pick you up and hang out with you but when you wake up the next morning, I'll be there to take you to school. That's all."

Kara put her head on Alex's shoulder and she could feel the girl tremble slightly. "Is it going to be dangerous?"

"J'onn will be there with me," Alex didn't quite answer the question. "I will be safe."

"I want to come."

The thought made Alex's insides freeze. Kara didn't know they were invading another lab and there was no way Alex was going to tell her. She wanted Kara as far away as possible from this organization.

"I know you do," Alex pulled Kara closer and kissed her forehead. "But this is a place you can't go. You have to promise me that you won't try to come." She cupped Kara's beautiful innocent face between her hands, dread suddenly filling her at the thought of what she might find at this lab. "Do you promise?"

"I promise," Kara relented. Alex pressed a kiss on the top of her head.. "But… who's going to stay with me?'

Alex smiled.  
"It's time for you to meet my mom."

* * *

 _ **As you can probably tell, who I decide to de-age is pretty random at this point. It just depends where I want them. I threw Barbara Gordon in because I could lol.**_

 _ **Question of the day! (night actually): Are you a morning or night person?**_

 _ **~silverlining**_


	17. Answering the Door

_**Hello! I am so happy to be back in this story; I really am enjoying where it is going.**_

 _ **THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE BEAUTIFUL REVIEWS! Honestly. You all are my inspiration.**_

 ** _I'm going to try to follow up this chapter up quickly, it's more of an in-between moment that is also important and needs to be written._**

 ** _Let me know what you think and I'll be back soon!_**

 _ **Disclaimer: I still don't own Supergirl. Don't sue me, I have a cat to provide for.**_

* * *

"When is she getting here?" Kara peered out the window for a moment before running back to the living room where Alex was on the couch working on her laptop.

"Not for another half an hour, I think," Alex looked up. "How are you doing?"

Alex was doing that intense direct eye contact thing and Kara couldn't help but slide her gaze away as she shifted her weight from leg to leg.

"I'm fine." She didn't look at Alex. She couldn't.

Ever since Alex had told her about the upcoming trip, Kara hadn't been able to relax. And now that it was at hand, she could barely even keep her powers in control as her chest constantly ached with worry.

"Kara." Of course Alex didn't buy her answer.

"I'm fine!" Kara exploded. "It's fine! I'm not a baby, okay?!"

Alex barely reacted. "It's okay to be scared, kiddo."

"No, it's not!" Kara crossed her arms, trying to keep her tears back. "I'm too old." She was so frustrated with herself; why couldn't she just be okay? She couldn't fall apart every time Alex left!

But whenever she closed her eyes, she saw images of Alex unconscious in the car, being thrown against the wall by Astra, metal shelves falling on top of her at the DEO when the alien got loose…

And what if Alex didn't come back? Kara knew she shouldn't think about that but she couldn't stop the thoughts that peppered her mind, soaking up all her attention.

If Alex didn't come back, Kara would have nobody.

She couldn't do that again.

"Would it help to know that I'm scared?" Alex's voice cut through her thoughts.

Kara turned, face paling.

"You can't be scared!" she protested, wrapping her arms around herself.

Alex shrugged. "Well I am."

The agent had put down the laptop, hands shoved into her pockets.

"If you're scared then that means that something really could happen to you!" Kara wailed, hands clenching into fists.

"Kara. It's normal to be scared. A little fear keeps me grounded on missions; it helps me realize both my limitations and my abilities. So I'm a little scared, but I'm not worried." Alex gave her a small smile.

Kara pondered that for a moment. She had never really thought that fear and worry could be separated, but looking at Alex, she could see that the agent really was calm.

"Well, I'm scared _and_ worried." Kara dropped herself onto the couch next to Alex and let her wrap an arm around her shoulders.

"It will be okay." Alex's words were so firm that Kara felt like she could wrap her fingers around them and build something stable to stand on. "I'll be back before you know it."

"And I'll be here," Kara gave her a half smile, feeling surprisingly better.

A doorbell rang, the noise startling both of them.

"She's here!" Kara wavered between excitement and fear. Alex took her hand, somehow knowing she needed it, and they went to the door and opened it.

A slender older woman stood in the doorway, balancing a bag on one shoulder and a hand on the handle of a suitcase. She had light hair and light eyes and there were slight wrinkles around her eyes and mouth that Kara could tell were from smiling.

As soon as she saw Kara, the woman's whole face lit up and Kara couldn't help but smile back shyly.

"Hello Kara! It's nice to meet you." Eliza held out a hand and Kara shook it in the earth tradition, feeling rather grown-up in a good way.

"Hi," Kara said, leaning against Alex.

"Mom, it's so good to see you."

Kara watched as Alex and Eliza hugged, tears suddenly pricking the back of her eyes, although she was unsure why. Quickly she hid them, instead grabbing Eliza's suitcase.

"I'll take this upstairs to the guest room," she said quickly, before practically running up the stairs.

Once alone, Kara slowed, making her way to the bedroom they had set up for Eliza. She carefully positioned the suitcase next to the dresser and sat down on the bed for a moment to gather her thoughts.

She wanted her mom.

That's why she had almost cried when she had seen Alex and Eliza reunite, because she never would get to reunite with her mom.

And seeing Alex and her mother… it made Kara suddenly worried. Alex had a family who wasn't her, a family who wasn't alien. What if Alex got tired of dealing with her and left?

She wondered what Alex and Eliza were saying now that she wasn't there. Insecurity crept into her chest and she used her super hearing before she could stop herself.

 _"Alex, she's so beautiful."_

 _"I know Mom. I know."_

Kara bit her lip and tried to hold back the tears threatening to spill.

She had somehow ended up with the best humans on the whole of earth.

* * *

Alex adjusted the blankets around Kara, pausing before leaning forward and kissing her forehead.

It had been a long evening, but a good one. Alex could tell that Kara had a lot on her mind but didn't want to talk about it yet. She would wait until Kara was ready.

Instead they had spent the evening playing a game and talking. At one point, Alex had leaned back and just watched Kara and Eliza interact, happily noting how Kara had relaxed and seemed to accept the older woman's presence.

 _My whole family is here_ , she had reflected, then felt a pang of sadness. _Except Dad._

But she had the strange feeling that he sort of was there with them, watching the scene unfold with satisfaction, just like her.

Kara had been in no rush to go to bed and Alex didn't feel the need to push her. They put on a movie instead, Kara falling asleep on Alex's shoulder part way through.

A small noise in the doorway made her turn away from Kara.  
Eliza was leaning against the doorframe, a sort of wistful smile on her face. Alex smoothed the covers over Kara one more time before joining her mother, carefully partially closing the door behind her.

They made their way to the couch, sitting quietly for a moment.

"You've grown," Eliza said finally, her eyes shining.

"Mom," Alex ducked her head in protest. "I'm an adult, don't look at me like that."

"I get to look at you this way as long as you are my daughter," Eliza shook her head. "Alex, I'm so proud of you."

Alex looked up, brushing a strand of hair out of her face, her chest warming as she met her mother's intense gaze that had so much love in it she almost had to look away.

"It's Kara you should be proud of," Alex smiled, looking at her hands. "She's gone through hell and back."  
"And you've walked beside her on that journey," Eliza touched Alex's hand. "You're doing great. I'm so proud of both of you."  
"Thanks Mom." Alex smiled. "When I met Kara… I _knew_ she would be important in my life. I just didn't know how important she would be. I love her so much. She's… she's a part of my family."

"Our family." Eliza squeezed her hand.

It was silent for a moment and in the silence Alex's thoughts pressed to the surface of her mind until she couldn't help but voice them.  
"I want to look out for her forever," she whispered. "This isn't a mission. It never was. But the future is so uncertain and I don't know if the DEO will…" she stopped, biting her lip. "What do I do, Mom?"

Eliza smiled. "Maybe it's time for you to think about making it permanent."

"Like… Adoption?" Alex took a quick breath, suddenly assaulted by a wave of emotions.

"Why not?" Eliza leaned forward. "I'm here to support you both in whatever way you need."

"I don't know if the DEO…"  
"Who are they to decide?!" Eliza burst out. "If anyone is going to decide, it should be Kara!"

"Shh," Alex grabbed her mom's arm. "Kara is sleeping."

"Think about it," Eliza lowered her voice. "That's all I'm saying."

"After this mission," Alex sighed. "I really need to go do some last minute prep actually."

"Will it be dangerous?"

"I don't know. We're raiding another lab. I just hope Kara will be okay while I'm gone."

"She'll be okay." Eliza stood up. "Let's get some rest. Tomorrow will be a long day."

Alex nodded, putting aside thoughts of adoption for the moment. She needed to stay focused on the mission, then after maybe she could find a moment to broach the topic with J'onn.

Tomorrow would be a long day indeed.

* * *

 _ **Question of the day: scarves or hats? (it's getting colder here!)**_

 _ **Hope you enjoyed! See you all soon!**_

 _ **~silverlining**_


	18. When Edges Fit Together

_**Hello my beautiful readers! I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving break if you celebrate, and if not, I hope this November weekend has been fabulous! I am thankful for all of you!**_

 _ **This is a bit later than I had hoped and for that I apologize! Somewhat unexpectedly, this chapter is mostly about relationships. Action will be coming though, I promise!**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I still don't own Supergirl. Kind of running out of interesting ways to say it...**_

* * *

"Hey. You okay?"  
Kara looked up from her lunch to find Barbara giving her a slightly concerned look.

"Yeah." Kara dropped her gaze again, biting her lip.

She was worried about Alex but she wasn't sure how to talk about it without giving anything away. It wasn't like she could just be like _"Oh yeah I'm worried because my foster sister is a government agent whose department deals with aliens like me and she's going on a secret mission where she could die."_

"That was really convincing," Barbara raised her eyebrows, green eyes piercing. It wasn't an unfriendly gesture and Kara suddenly appreciated Barbara's genuine care.

"My foster sister is on a work trip," Kara admitted, hoping she didn't sound pathetic for missing Alex.

"I'm sorry." Barbara didn't seem to think it was dumb or pathetic. "That's rough."

"Yeah." Kara took a bite of her sandwich. "It is. But Alex's mom, Eliza, is staying with me though and she's really nice."

"That's good," Winn chimed in. He looked tired and had been quiet all day.

"Are you okay?" Kara turned to her friend.

Winn shrugged, blue eyes darting away.

"Is it your dad?" James spoke up.

Winn nodded and Barbara and James looked at each other.

Carter was the one who broke the silence.

"What's going on?"

Winn looked miserable. "Nothing new. Ever since his company failed, he's just been different. He's in the basement all the time. He doesn't listen."

"I'm sorry," Kara's heart instantly went out to her friend. Winn gave a small smile.

"Thanks Kara. It's okay. Just…" he trailed off, face becoming clouded again. "He's different. In a scary way. It's hard to explain."

Briefly, the image of Astra hovering about DEO troops, eyes burning dangerously, flitted into Kara's mind.

"I know how you feel," she said quietly.

Winn turned to her, brow furrowing. "You do?"

"My…" Kara struggled to find words. "My aunt. She changed when my parents died, so much that she couldn't take care of me. It was like something dark was in her. But I still love her. I don't know. It's hard."

"That's exactly it," Winn nodded, looking relieved. "That's how I feel."

"I'm sorry guys," Barbara put her hand on Kara's shoulder and ruffled Winn's hair affectionately with her other hand. "We are here for you." Her words were firm and strong; they reminded Kara of Alex.

Barbara Gordon was a good friend.

By the time the last bell rang and they all tumbled out the doors, Winn seemed to be back to his normal cheery self. He laughed and joked with Carter as they waited for the cars to inch through the pick-up circle.

"There's my nanny!" Carter grabbed his backpack. "I have to go to straight to my cello lesson, but I'll see you guys later!"

They waved to him, standing silently for a moment.

"I think I see Eliza," Kara peered down the line of cars. A rush of anxiety suddenly filled her as she remembered again that Alex was gone. Suddenly, she didn't really want to go home. "Who is picking you up?" She turned her attention to Winn again.

"My dad, I think." Winn checked his phone.

The cars were beginning to thin out.

"Hold on, I'll be right back." Kara ran to the car, pulling the door open to talk to Eliza. "Is it okay if Winn comes over?" Kara asked.

"Of course!" Eliza agreed instantly and Kara gave her a huge smile before running back to Winn, who was staring miserably at his phone.

"Do you want to come over?"

* * *

"Henshaw." Alex's voice came out as a whisper, echoing around the silent facility. Behind her, agents were combing through the building, J'onn barking orders and demanding answers to the emptiness that had met them. "Henshaw, come here."

She couldn't turn from the sight in front of her to see if he was coming, could only stare in horror at the alien bodies scattered about the room she had found.

A low stream of expletives beside her told her that J'onn had followed her call and arrived at her side.

They stood for a moment.

"Agent Danvers," J'onn's deep voice was low. "Please go check on the securing of the ground floor."

She knew he was sending her away, but at the moment she was unable to argue. She quickly walked towards the stairs, agents scattering to let her through. Bile scraped the back of her throat and she had to force her body not to throw up.

It was the first time she had seen alien bodies since taking guardianship of Kara.

 _Don't think about Kara, don't think about Kara, don't think about Kara._

She couldn't allow herself to think about what would have happened if they hadn't found her beautiful girl that day in the lab. She couldn't pause for a second on the thought that Kara could have been in that room or Alex would surely fall apart.

There was time for that later. Right now, she had a job to do.

"I want _every scrap of information from this lab_ ," Alex ordered. "There is no detail too small; when I say everything, I mean _everything._ "

Around her, agents jolted into action.

"Marquez," Alex motioned over one of her colleagues. "Has forensics been called?"

"On it now." He was already pulling out his radio.

Later, she watched as the sheet-covered gurneys were transported out of the lab, stood with arms crossed across her chest as if she held herself together it wouldn't hurt. She didn't want to count the number of aliens who had perished but her mind did it regardless.

Five.

J'onn appeared at some point, standing beside her.

"We'll get those bastards." Alex finally broke the silence. She wondered how J'onn felt, seeing the scene of slaughter that she had found in that room and knowing that he too was an alien.

"The sooner the better." J'onn's voice was soft and deep. "We will look into the burial customs of the different species and send them off with honor."

Alex wondered for a moment what J'onn's burial custom was before realizing she didn't want to know.

"They were experimenting on them, weren't they?" Alex turned to J'onn. "What are they trying to find?"

"I don't think we know yet." J'onn suddenly looked incredibly tired, Hank Henshaw's face sagging in exhaustion.

"With these bodies… please tell me we have enough to bring down Cadmus," Alex's voice was low, angry.

"We definitely caught them by surprise if they weren't able to dispose of the bodies, but the place is still pretty well wiped. I don't know Alex. We might not have enough to tie this to them."

Alex cursed.

"Our hands our tied." J'onn's voice was tired. "The intricacies of human governmental organizations…" He trailed off, shaking his head.

Silence seemed to dominate the moment.

"Go home Alex." J'onn said finally. "Spend time with your kid and your mom. We'll work things out here."

"No, this is where I'm needed," Alex protested. "Don't treat me like I've gone soft; I'm the same agent as before."

"Alex." J'onn's eyes found her. "There's nothing soft about seeing what we've seen. We'll call you as soon as we have anything, but it's more or less clean up duty from here on out. Go home to your family."

 _Be thankful you have one to go home to._ She could hear his unspoken addition.

Alex hesitated then nodded and started to walk away. Then she stopped.

"Henshaw."

He turned.

"Why don't you come over to my place when you're done here? I know my mom would like to meet you and Kara would like to see you."

J'onn's face softened for a moment. He nodded.

"Thank you."

* * *

"Go fish!"

A hand reached into the pile of cards, fingertips brushing over smooth paper, then finally landing on one card, which was viewed with a sullen pout.

"Come on, Kara, you can't get all the matches right away like last game," Winn teased.

Kara traded her pout for a smile. "I can try!"

"Hmm…. Winn, Queen of Hearts?" Eliza peered over her cards at the young boy.

"Here." Winn slid the card over.

"Aha!" Eliza placed the pair down triumphantly. "You youngsters are going down!"

"How come you got a match?" Kara complained good-naturedly.

"I still can't believe you've never played Go Fish before," Winn commented as they continued taking their turns around the table.

"When I was young, card games were all we had! No video games, computer games, _apps_ …" Eliza laughed. "Look at me, being that old person in the room." Her eyes twinkled merrily.

"I don't think you're old!" Kara rushed to assure her.

"Yeah, you're lots of fun to play with," Winn agreed. "Kara, you have such a cool family."

"I know."

Kara met Eliza's gaze for a moment.

"Thanks for having me over," Winn said as they finished up the game. "I like your place, it's chill."

"Too cold?" Kara furrowed her brow.

Winn laughed, blue eyes crinkling. "You're funny."

She still didn't know what he meant by chill but she let it go. "I'm glad you could come," she answered and she meant it.

"Me too." Winn stood up. "My mom wants me home for dinner so I should go but… thanks again."

Kara stood up and walked him to the door after Eliza and Winn exchanged their farewells.

"You're a good friend, Kara," Winn said, suddenly giving her a quick hug before disappearing out the door before her mind could register what had happened.

"I like him." Eliza appeared at her side. "He seems like a great person."

"He is," Kara agreed, shutting the door. "My first earth friend. Other than Alex, of course."

"So Alex was first," Eliza smiled. Kara could tell she was teasing but she took the opportunity to say more.

"Alex was the first good human I ever met. As soon as I met her, she fought for me," Kara said seriously. She wanted Alex's mom to know how amazing her daughter was. Alex more than deserved it.

"And how did you meet?" Eliza sat on the couch next to Kara.

"It was not a good day." Kara looked away for a moment. Eliza didn't seem to mind her silence; it felt comfortable between them. "Maybe Alex told you." She searched Eliza's face.

"Alex has talked about you some but I want to hear your story from you, if you want to talk about it. But if you don't, I'm also okay with that."

Kara played with her hair.

"It wasn't a bad day because I met Alex. That was the best thing that ever happened to me," she made sure to clarify. Eliza nodded understandingly. Encouraged, Kara continued. "When my pod got to earth, it was found by evil people. They took me to a science lab." Kara shuddered. "I spent a long time there."

"I'm sorry, Kara," Eliza said quietly. "That must have been so hard."

"It was," Kara agreed, biting her lip. "It… it was horrible. They didn't even call me by a name; they just said _it_. And they injected stuff into me and other stuff." Kara stared at her hands. "But…"

She was so so so glad there was a "but".

"But that day I met Alex, something was different. They were trying to take me somewhere else but they didn't do it in time because Alex and the DEO got there first. Alex opened the thing they had put me in and talked to me. I think even though I was scared, I trusted her because she was kind. When I woke up again, she was there." Kara shrugged, gaze darting back to Eliza's face. "That's how we met."

"Kara."

The tone of voice that Eliza used almost made Kara cry, it was so compassionate.

" _You are so brave_."

Kara swallowed. She couldn't let Eliza think that she was good, not when Alex had almost _died_ because of her.  
"Alex has gotten hurt, because of me. Really hurt," she admitted, not able to look at Eliza, not sure if the older woman would be so kind if she knew that but also certain that she had to know.

"That's a part of being family, sometimes," Eliza said softly. "I don't blame you for that, Kara."

Kara stared at Eliza, sure the woman had just read her mind.

"The only people I blame for hurting Alex are the ones who hurt her. Not you, Kara. And I'm angry at those people who hurt you too." Eliza touched Kara's hand.

A weight lifted off of Kara's chest as she realized that Eliza really meant what she said. Kara just didn't know how to express how much that meant to her.

"You should come over more often, Eliza."

"I would like that."

* * *

 ** _Loving the development of different friendships. I'm also enjoying deepening of Kara's character as a young person._**

 ** _Question of the Day: Snow or rain?_**

 ** _I'll be trying to get the next chapter up in a timely manner!_**

 ** _~silverlining_**


	19. Emerging From the Smoke

_**HI!**_

 ** _Sorry for the wait; you all are amazing and I hope you enjoy! Had to bring the excitement back._**

 ** _This note is short because I need to run to class..._**

 ** _I'll be trying to update more quickly!_**

 ** _Disclaimer: I do not own Supergirl. Never did. Probably never will. Sad, I know._**

* * *

"My love."

Kara looked around, unable to locate the source of the voice.

"Mom?" She tried to move forward but her feet were stuck to the ground. "Mom!"

"My love."

"Our beautiful daughter."

"Dad! Mom! Where are you?" Kara struggled, tears beginning to prickle behind her eyes.

"We are here, daughter."

"I don't see you," Kara tried to turn with no success.

"Right here, Kara."

"I can't get to you!" Kara sobbed. "Mom! Dad!"

"We are right here."

"But I don't see anything," Kara cried. "Please. I want to be with you."

Suddenly the ground was shaking, the earth crumbling in on itself, fiery tongues stretching forward as the world exploded and Kara stood frozen.

A scream escaped from her lips then the wall of destruction hit and she was gone.

"Kara!"

Kara sat straight up, chest heaving as her lungs demanded oxygen.

"What…" She felt like her conscience was a contradiction, like she was supposed to be gone but wasn't.

A dream.

It was all a dream.

"Hey. It's okay." A gentle hand on her back brought her back to reality.

"Alex!" Kara launched herself at the figure. "You're back!"

"Hey kiddo," Alex pulled her close, kissing the top of her head.

"I missed you." Kara didn't want to let go of Alex, ever. She buried her face into Alex's shoulder, breathing in the comforting scent.

"I missed you too," Alex stroked her hair. She paused. "What's wrong?"

Kara hadn't been able to stop the single tear that ran down her cheek and Alex had of course noticed it.

"I'm just glad you're okay," Kara mumbled, burying her head further into Alex's shoulder.  
Alex held her tighter. "Not a single scratch," she said quietly. Her voice was tired and distant, contrary to her encircling arms and physical presence.

Kara wondered what she might find in Alex's eyes if she could see them at that moment.

"Stay with me?" Kara lifted her head to look pleadingly at her older sister. Alex didn't hesitate.

"Of course."

Kara sighed happily, snuggling closer and Alex wanted to just stay there in that moment forever. But the image of alien bodies flashed before her and she couldn't help but bite her lip and close her eyes, willing the memory to disappear.  
She was here with Kara; Kara was safe.

But they had been too late to save those individuals at the lab.

"Why are you sad, Alex?"

Alex almost jumped at Kara's sudden question and silently marveled at Kara's ability to read her. It really was astounding.

"Come here." Alex hugged her close, kissing her hair. "How come you can see right through me?" She kept her tone light.

"X-ray vision?" Kara shrugged. "But why are you sad?"

Kara really could be her biological sister with the amount of persistence she had.

"Sometimes at my job I see things that are hard," Alex said finally, praying the blonde wouldn't ask for more details.

"Oh." Kara seemed to understand, _of course she understood, she saw her own planet blow up…_ "It's okay to be sad, Alex," Kara broke the silence, patting Alex's hand. Alex almost began crying at the little girl's attempt to comfort her. How this girl could be so caring, loving, and brave after all the universe had thrown at her, she didn't know.

"I know." Alex stroked Kara's hair. "Having you here with me helps me not be so sad."

"Good." Kara smiled, cuddling up close to Alex. "Same here."

Soon, they were both fast asleep.

* * *

"You seem back to your normal self," Winn grinned at Kara. His smile was infectious and Kara beamed back.  
"Alex is back from her business trip," Kara told him.  
"Awesome." Winn gave her a high five. "Dang." He wrung his hand out. "You hit hard."

"Sorry, I'm just really excited," Kara blushed. "Alex and I are going to go on a trip to find the perfect hot chocolate in town after school today."

"That sounds awesome." Winn's bright eyes looked wistful. Kara almost invited him to come along but the selfish part of her wanted Alex all to herself.

Thankfully, she was saved from responding by the ringing of the bell that signaled the end of the day.

"Finally," Winn groaned. "I cannot wait to get home and finish the program I'm working on coding." They headed into the hall, running into Barbara.

"Hey guys!" she smiled, falling in step. "Want to hang out today?"

"Kara's got plans, maybe tomorrow?" Winn suggested.  
"Yeah, that would be great!" Kara agreed.

"Geek squad!" A familiar annoying voice rang out behind them.

Winn sighed heavily while Barbara rolled her eyes.

"I've been looking for you nerds all day! I didn't see you at lunch." Chester ran a hand through his dirty blond hair, sneering slightly. Under one arm he held a cardboard box.  
"That's because we were avoiding you, Chester," Barbara growled.

"Well good thing I caught you, because I have a present for you, Winny." Chester held up the box.

"Go away," Winn clenched his jaw.

"What? It's from your dear old dad, Winnster. He sent a _gift_ to my dad. Of course I nabbed it when I saw it because who wouldn't want to know what your pathetic father is trying to bribe my dad with. I thought we'd open it together." Chester's smile was sickening.

"I don't want to know," Winn turned away. Kara could see that his face was flushed with embarrassment and her blood boiled at Chester's insistence on humiliating the smaller by.

She was distracted by a strange sound coming from the box Chester was holding, almost a ticking sort of noise.

"Hold on." Chester's face hardened and he grabbed the back of Winn's backpack, pulling his attempt to walk away to a halt, shifting the box back under his arm.

"Dude, let go!" Winn yanked back.

"Hey, get off!" Barbara jumped in.

Kara glanced at the present, flickering on her x-ray vision to figure out what that sound was.

What she saw was very strange.

At first look, it was a teddy bear.

But inside, there were wires and metal and containers of _something_.

A little screen displayed a number.

9

8

7…

Kara's eyes widened. She had heard tales of these rudimentary weapons.

It was a bomb.

Before she knew what she was doing, she grabbed the box out of Chester's hands and searched wildly for a place where it wouldn't hurt anybody.

"Hey!"

"Kara, what are you…"

The cafeteria! Kara didn't even hear the voices around her but somehow she knew she had to do this without revealing her powers if at all possible. She yanked open the cafeteria door and looked furiously around.

The room was empty.

Kara threw the box in. Before it even hit the ground, she was thrown back as an explosion rocked the school.

* * *

Alex tapped her fingers against the steering wheel in time with the music softly playing from the radio.

Students were pouring from the school to the line of cars slowly rotating through the pick-up circle and Alex searched the crowd for Kara.

Suddenly, there was a loud bang and screaming.

Alex was already out of the car, running toward the school before her brain processed the meaning of the smoke coming from the other side of the school.

All around her, children were running, crying… Parents were getting out of their cars, screaming names.

Somehow she made it to the door and into the building.

"Go, go!" Alex shepherded a couple kids crouched behind lockers toward the door. "Get out and get behind the cars!"

She continued to fight against the flow of middle-schoolers down the hall toward where smoke was pouring into the air.

A fire alarm was screaming into the air, mixing with the frantic calls of children and distant sirens that had begun to wail.

"Go! Get out of the building!" Alex instructed a group of kids hysterically clinging to one another, not seeing the one girl she was looking for.

 _Kara. Where is Kara?! What happened?_

Alex was reaching the end of the hall, the crowd thinning. Smoke blurred her vision but she saw a form rapidly approaching. As it got closer, she saw that it was two girls helping support two boys, one of which was limping heavily.

"Kara!" Alex's heart jumped in her chest as she recognized the soot-streaked face of the girl supporting the larger boy. "Oh my god, are you okay?!"

She recognized Winn as the one limping and being helped by the red-haired girl. Their expressions were dazed and they were all streaked with soot and bleeding from small random cuts that Alex assumed were the result of flying rubble.

Except Kara of course, her skin was completely unscathed.

"Is there anyone else back there?" Alex asked urgently.

Kara shook her head. "No. I checked. Everyone got out."

Alex didn't question her, just moved to help support Winn and Barbara.

"There was a bomb. Chester hit his head." Kara's face was pale. "Winn's leg is hurt and Barbara hurt her wrist even though she isn't admitting it."

"We need to get out here as fast as we can. Can you guys walk?" Alex asked. Winn swayed slightly against her and she scooped him up. "Come on."

They made their way toward the exit, coughing as the smoke intensified.

"Almost there." Alex urged them on, glancing worriedly behind them.

Chaos erupted around them as they stumbled out the door, paramedics having arrived at the scene, firemen rushing forward…

"These kids need medical attention," Alex barked. Somehow they got Winn and Chester onto stretchers while Barbara perched on a bench, holding out her wrist for the medic examining it as another paramedic held an oxygen mask in front of her.

"She's fine," Alex wrapped her arms around Kara as a medic stepped forward to examine her.

"Yeah, take care of my friends," Kara leaned back against Alex.

"Can you tell us what happened?" Suddenly a reporter was by them while a photographer swung his camera around, taking pictures.

"Winn saved everyone," Kara pointed at her friend who was being tended to. "He realized there was a bomb in a package and threw it into the cafeteria where it couldn't hurt anyone. The bomb exploded there."

Alex could tell that Kara was lying. She wasn't the only one; the red haired girl gave Kara a look but didn't say anything.

"That's not what…" Winn was sitting up.

"Don't be humble," Kara looked at him intensely.

"But you…"

"You saved us all. That's what happened. I didn't do anything. Right?"

For a moment, the two friends stared at each other then Winn slowly nodded.

"Winn!" The reporter moved towards the boy. "How does it feel to be a hero? Can you tell us your side of the story?"

"Step back!" A paramedic blocked the reporter, pushing him back. "We're trying to treat kids, come back when you won't be obstructing emergency care!"

"Come on," Alex grabbed Kara's hand and they slipped away. Once past the chaotic crowds, Alex wiped the soot off Kara the best she could.

"Are you okay?" She cupped Kara's face in her hands.  
"I think so," Kara nodded, looking somewhat dazed. "I lied to the reporter; I was the one who threw the bomb but I didn't want them to talk to me more and notice that I wasn't hurt at all… what if Winn or Barbara tells them the truth? What if someone finds out who I am?"

"We'll worry about that later. I'm just glad you're okay." Alex pulled her into a hug that Kara returned fiercely. "Are you sure you aren't hurt?"

"I'm sure," Kara nodded, biting her lip. "I was scared though."  
"You're safe," Alex hugged her closer. "Everything will be okay; you did so great in there."

Kara leaned her head against her shoulder.

"We need to go." Alex pulled out her phone with her free hand. Twelve missed calls from J'onn. She quickly sent him a text telling him their location. "J'onn is going to get us," She assured Kara. "We'll double check that you're okay then head back home, does that sound okay?"

"Do you think everyone's okay? Winn and Barbara and Chester and the other students and teachers?" Kara asked worriedly, glancing back at the school.

"They are being taken care of," Alex promised. "They are in good hands."

"Okay. But what about our car?" Kara clung to Alex.

Alex looked over at the chaos that was the school parking lot, swarming with emergency vehicles, parents and students, and media outlets.

"I have a feeling we will have to pick it up later."

For now, they had to get out here; there was far too many people, too many reporters and photographers... Until she was sure Kara would be safe, they would not be returning. Alex just hoped that Kara's cover held well enough for coming back to be a possibility.

* * *

 _ **Thank you all for your patience!**_

 _ **Also for the purpose of this story, let's pretend that the toyman's bomb was on a timer...**_

 ** _Question of the day: camping or staying in a hotel?_**


	20. The Weight of a Name

_**Hello! I'm back! After not a super long time, can you believe it? This is like... an almost reasonable time between updates!**_

 _ **What can I say, you all inspire me. Thank you for the beautiful notes of encouragement.**_

 _ **I was impressed by how many of you like to camp! That definitely warms my heart; I love nature and I worry that sometimes we are** **separating** **from it. I love camping. Although, not going to lie, I also love my bed. A lot.**_

 ** _I hope this chapter is believable enough! I don't want to be unrealistic but I also want certain things to be certain ways in my story._**

 ** _I've included a brief snippet of Cat Grant for you, imagine-tht! I'll try to make sure she gets her airtime :) Thanks for the input!_**

 _ **Disclaimer: If you haven't noticed, I don't own Supergirl.**_

* * *

"I heard the news on the radio on my drive home, please tell me Kara wasn't hurt! And you! Were you there?!"

"Mom, she's okay. We both are," Alex assured her mother for the tenth time.

"I'm already heading back to you both."

"Mom, that really isn't necessary…" Alex ran a hand through her hair. "We're trying to lie as low as possible."

"Are you sure you're both okay?" Eliza's voice was urgent.

"I'm sure."

"I want to say hi," Kara piped up from the other side of the room where she was perched on a medical examination table.

"Here, Kara wants to talk to you." Alex passed the phone to the young girl, smiling slightly as Kara cradled the phone carefully to her ear.

"Hi Eliza," Kara said shyly. "Yeah, I'm okay…. Really." A pause. "Uh-huh. It was." Kara listened patiently. "Yeah. I haven't seen him since school but he's probably really upset." Kara's face fell slightly and Alex knew she was talking about Winn.

The news had been rolling in, updating rapidly.

Winn's father had been the sender of the bomb that had almost killed both his boss's son and his own son.

Mr. Schott confessed that the package was meant for Chester Dunholtz Sr. as revenge for stealing his toy designs and getting rich off of them.

He had never intended for the package to end up at the school, but when Chester stole the package to antagonize Winn with, the sinister plan went seriously awry.

The media was having a field day with the son of the almost-murderer saving the son of the intended victim, as the story Kara told of Winn's heroics circulated like wildfire.

Alex could only imagine what Winn was feeling. As Kara talked to Eliza on the phone, she wondered briefly what would happen to the Schott family now. Winn and his mother were good people.

"So far, I'm happy to say, there has been no suspicion of Kara being abnormal in any way."

Alex turned to find J'onn approaching.

"The focus has solely been on the Schotts and Dunholtzes. Winn and Barbara might suspect that it was strange that Kara lied but they have no reason to think she might not be human."

"You think we can stay?" Alex crossed her arms. J'onn had her full attention now.

"I think it is a possibility, depending on how things progress. Moving at this point might draw more suspicion than staying. Besides…" J'onn's face softened. "Kara is doing well here."

It was moments like these Alex could see that it was J'onn she was talking to, not Hank Henshaw.

"She is," Alex agreed, turning to look at Kara.

When she had first heard the explosion and seen the smoke, Alex had feared the worst; Cadmus had found Kara.

The knowledge that the whole thing was actually completely unrelated to Kara was almost comically ridiculous. So ridiculous, in fact, that it actually provided further cover to Kara; the only role she played in the drama was a helpless victim.

Except there was one problem.

"Winn, Barbara, and Chester might know something isn't normal," Alex hated to say it but knew she had to.

"Chester sustained a concussion and minor amnesia, he will be easily convinced that he remembers things that weren't true."  
"But Winn and Barbara…"

"What about them?"

Kara stood in front of them, holding the phone in one hand.

"Kara." J'onn knelt so that he was eye to eye with the girl. Tenderness was clear in his voice and Alex moved to close the door so the conversation between the three of them could be more private. "Is it possible that Winn or Barbara would know that you aren't human?"

Kara bit her lip, blue eyes glancing worriedly at Alex for a moment.

"They don't know how I knew it was a bomb in that package. I used my x-ray vision. And I didn't get hurt. Those are the only two things." Kara looked at J'onn pleadingly. "Please, I don't want to leave; they're my friends."

"Alright," J'onn decided. "I don't think there's enough to warrant moving. You were covered in soot so they probably didn't notice that you didn't get cuts. And you can come up with some excuse for the box. Honestly it might bring more attention at this point to move."  
"Thank you!" Kara threw her arms around J'onn, hugging him.

Alex smiled slightly watching their interaction. Her smile widened as Kara turned to her excitedly and jumped into her arms.  
"Let's go home."

* * *

 _Knock knock knock._

"Stay here," Alex instructed Kara, getting up from the couch to answer the door. Kara, snuggled under the blankets, was happy to oblige.  
But she couldn't help but listen in.  
"Ms. Grant and Carter." Alex's voice was surprised.

"Ms. Danvers." Kara could recognize Cat Grant's voice anywhere; she pronounced her words exactly and crisply, like the way Alex expertly sliced cucumbers.

"What can I do for you?" Alex asked.

"I wanted check that Kara was okay after the explosion at school," Carter piped up and Kara smiled slightly at her friend's concern.

"That is really thoughtful, Carter." Alex's words were kind. "She's doing okay; a little scratched up but nothing that won't heal in no time. I'd have you come say hello but she's asleep right now. Are you both doing okay?"

"Thank god, yes." Cat Grant's voice was slightly softer than usual and Kara imagined her pulling Carter slightly closer. "Otherwise there would be hell to pay."

"Mom!" Carter protested.

"Winn really was a hero. Do you know how he's doing?" Alex seemed to be taking the opportunity to gather some information.

"He's out of the hospital but he broke his ankle. I can't even imagine what the family is going through with the whole situation." There was a pause. "I saw that you ran into the building, Ms. Danvers. That was very brave; what exactly inspired you to do that?"

Kara blinked at that.

Alex seemed similarly taken aback. "I did... but how did you know that?"

"I run a media empire; it's my business to know things. It was quite incredible the way you reacted. You are Kara's…"

"Foster parent." Alex's voice had hardened slightly. "Ms. Grant…"

"Please, call me Cat."  
"Cat," Alex continued. "I really appreciate you coming by. But I'd prefer the focus stay away from Kara and I. Kara is still transitioning into the home, having been in the foster care system, and I really don't want anything to disturb the progress she's made. She's already overcome a lot, more than any kid should, the last thing she needs is media attention dragging me or her into the spotlight."

A pause.

"I understand. We all want what is best for our children." Ms. Grant's voice was sincere. "I'll make sure your family is left out of the media uproar."  
"Cat." Alex's voice was so thankful that Kara didn't even have to see her face to know the intense look she was probably giving Ms. Grant. "I can't tell you how much that would mean to us."

Ms. Grant laughed lightly. "Just agree to one thing, okay?"

"What's that?"

"Never stop fighting for your girl."

"I won't."

* * *

Alex kissed Kara's forehead and slowly walked away from the sleeping girl, carefully closing the door to the bedroom partway.  
Sighing slightly, she turned to go back to her work.

"Alex Danvers."

"Holy…" Alex drew her gun instinctually, realizing in a moment that she was pointing it unwaveringly at Kara's Kryptonian aunt.

"That won't do anything," Astra glanced the gun.

"How the hell did you get in here?" Alex hissed. "Do you know the time we've put into this security system?"

Astra shrugged, casually reaching out a hand and pushed Alex's gun down.

"I don't think the system was meant to keep Kryptonians out," she commented. "Seeing as you're housing one."

Alex swore, shoving her gun into her waistband, leading Astra away from the bedroom door. "Kara's asleep and I'd like to keep it that way. Why are you here?"

Astra threw her thick hair over her shoulder, blinking her pale eyes.

"She's going to bed rather late, don't you think?"

"Excuse me?" Alex stopped and put her hands on her hips. "Are you criticizing my care of Kara?"

Astra didn't blink.  
"Maybe."

Alex clenched her jaw so tightly she could hear her teeth creak at the pressure. After the events of the past couple days, the last thing she needed to deal with was Astra. She didn't even know why the Kryptonian was here; for all she knew, she was here to kill her. Briefly Alex considered calling for back up but knew that if Astra wanted her dead, she already would be.

"Let's sit." Alex led Astra to the living room, far from Kara's bedroom. "You didn't come to see Kara, did you?"

The general perched on the cushion of the worn out armchair, looking very poised and out of place.

"I always desire to see my niece."

"Which is why you came at a time you thought she would be asleep?" Alex raised an eyebrow, fingers tapping against her thigh. She considered reaching subtly for her phone to contact J'onn but doubted the motion would go unnoticed. Either she was going to die or her relationship with Astra was taking an interesting turn.

"I heard about the explosion at Kara's school," Astra admitted. "I did not want to distress Kara further by a short visit for I cannot stay long."

"Non doesn't know you're here," Alex interpreted.

Astra dipped her head slightly, dark hair shifting around her face.

"You are a smart one, Agent Danvers." Astra exhaled ever so slightly. "Is she alright?" The tiniest crack of vulnerability ran through her voice.

"You know she is." Alex said evenly.

"But her identity?" Astra's eyes were sharp and Alex knew suddenly that Astra understood exactly what situation they were in. Clearly, the general had been monitoring them from afar. She hadn't even realized that Astra knew where they were, a foolish foresight on her part. "Are there any threats?"Astra's voice brought her back to the present conversation. "The media woman next door?"

 _How on earth did Astra know about Cat Grant? Never mind, it didn't matter at this moment._ Looking at Astra's steely expression, Alex instantly knew that any name she gave would be equivalent to a death sentence.

"No. Kara handled the situation incredibly well and we are staying out of the public eye."

Astra relaxed incrementally.

"How did you know where we were and what school Kara goes to?" Alex couldn't stop herself from asking. "You understand that Kara's safety depends on secrecy; if there are better measures we can take, we won't hesitate to do so."

Astra laughed.

"You humans overestimate your technologies and agencies. You think your world and understanding is expansive but it is but a grain of sand on a beach. You think you have armed yourself with the impenetrable but your barricades are as flimsy as paper." Astra's eyes glinted dangerously.

"We might overestimate ourselves but that doesn't mean that you aren't underestimating us," Alex growled. "After all, it was humans who imprisoned Kara in a lab and kept her hidden from even you. And it was the DEO, yes the little _human_ agency, that freed her."

Astra's eyes flashed, anger darkening her face.  
"You dare…"

"Yes, I do dare." Alex glared. "This isn't about you and this isn't about me. We both know we aren't killing each other for one reason: Kara. So admit you couldn't keep her safe and I'll admit that our systems are less than perfect."

Silence overtook the room and Alex wondered if she had gone too far.

"You have the spirit of a warrior," Astra broke the silence.

"That's why you left Kara with me, isn't it?" Alex gave a small smile.

"No." Astra shook her head. "I left her with you because she loves you and you love her. That is where your warrior spirit comes from; it can only be born of love or hatred."

Looking at Astra's collected expression and her piercing gaze, Alex was reminded that Astra came from a different culture, a different world, that Alex knew so little of. She would never understand that world fully and the realization made her chest hurt. Kara needed her aunt; if only Astra could put aside her violent ambitions and be there for her...

"And what is your warrior spirit born of, love or hate?" Alex held Astra's eye contact.

Something flashed across the older woman's face.

"I do not know anymore, Alexandra Danvers." The general stood up. "There is one more thing."

So close to a peaceful visit. Alex braced herself, unsure what was coming as she also got to her feet.

"There are many among my ranks who hate my twin sister, Kara's mother, for the condemnation she brought upon them. They would go to the ends of the earth to exact revenge."

Alex's blood ran cold.

"I have veiled Kara's location and they know better than to act against me. But my position has created rumors regarding my loyalty." Astra paused. "If anything were to happen…" She stopped. "It is necessary that you be prepared."

Alex's heart was racing. How on earth was she supposed to be prepared for the most dangerous aliens that ever roamed the galaxy?

She stifled her alarm and only nodded. "Thank you."

Astra tilted her head in response and turned.

"Wait." Alex took a step towards her. "You want to exact revenge? To eliminate a threat against Kara?"

Astra turned to face her, eyes glowing with energy.

"You know I do, Agent Danvers." Her face was transformed with dangerous light.

"I have a name for you." Alex spoke her words with certainty. If they didn't play by the rules, neither would she. "But whatever you do cannot in any way point back to or give information about Kara under any circumstances."

"You have my word. Tell me."

Alex took a deep breath.

"The organization you're looking for is called Cadmus."

* * *

 _ **I really enjoy writing Astra - I hope I've done an okay job at it!**_

 ** _Question of the day... Mountains, beaches, or forests?_**

 ** _Much love! ~silverlining_**


	21. Follow My Steps Forward

**_Hello, my dear wonderful readers and reviewers!_**

 ** _Here comes a nice long chapter covering many many things! Hopefully it hangs together okay; I realized there were a lot of different events I need to address before we can move to some more action! Which will, by the way, be coming. I hope you are prepared for angst... because it's in the near future._**

 ** _Disclaimer: I can't think of any more interesting ways of saying this. I don't own Supergirl or any of its characters._**

* * *

A soft buzz caught Kara's attention, making her glance at her human communication device.

[1 New Message from Winn]

Quickly, she opened the text.

 _[Are you home?]_

Kara tapped at the screen very lightly, holding it gingerly. She didn't want to break another phone.

 _[Yeah, why?]_

 _[Go to your_ _backyard.]_

 _[Okay, be there_ _in one second]_

"Alex?" Kara grabbed her sister's attention, the agent looking up from where she was working at the dining table. "I'm going to go to the backyard."

"Okay. Love you." Alex gave her a brief smile before turning back to her work.

"Love you too!" Heading out the door, Kara reflected on the first time she had gone into this backyard.

She had been so scared that Alex would hurt her.

So much had changed since then.

"Kara!"

A whisper caught the Kryptonian's attention and she quickly located its source.

"Winn!" she beamed, bounding over to the fence. "You're back!"

Her friend looked thinner than when she had last seen him, the shadows around his eyes highlighted in contrast to his bright blue eyes. A neon green cast encased his left ankle, its coloring startling.

Kara glanced away long enough to still her rolling stomach.

She hated the color green; it made her want to run away.

But this was Winn and Winn was her friend.

Quickly, she climbed over the fence to give her classmate a hug. "Are you okay?"

Winn shrugged, his smile hollow.

"I just want everything to go back to normal."

 _But nothing will ever go back to the way it was_ , the unspoken words filled the silence.

"I missed you." Kara gave him a small smile.

"Yeah, same," Winn smiled back, expression lightening slightly. "I had to call you to the back because there are still news people parked up front."

"I know," Kara bit her lip. "I've seen them parked out there. I wish they would leave."

"Me too." Winn ran a hand through his hair. "Listen, Kara, we need to talk."

Kara swallowed hard. She knew where this conversation was going.

"We both know I didn't throw the bomb away," Winn met her gaze steadily. "It was you. Why did you say I did it? _You_ are the hero."

Kara looked down at her feet. She knew the lie that Alex and J'onn had her memorize but she wished she didn't have to say it.

What if Winn knew? Would it really be that disastrous?

But if she broke DEO rules… What if they took her away from Alex?

Fear scraped the back of her throat as she cleared it.

"I…" she paused, glancing up at Winn. "I didn't want any attention."

Winn raised his eyebrows but waited for her to continue.

"Before I got here, I had a messed up foster placement. It didn't end well. If I were on the news people might find out about my past or the…" Kara bit her lip, staring again at the ground. "Or those people could know where I am."

It was so close to the truth. Except there wasn't a foster placement in her past; there was a science laboratory where she had been kept as an experiment.

A rush of fear hit her, making her want to curl in on herself.

She didn't ever want to think about what had happened in that lab. She was safe now, she had Alex and J'onn and Eliza and her friends.

"Did they hurt you?" Winn's voice was almost a whisper, his face pale.

Wordlessly, Kara nodded.

"I won't tell anyone it was you, I promise," Winn put his hand on her shoulder, his expression serious.  
"Thank you," Kara gave him a small smile.

"Can I ask you one more thing about the explosion? Then we can stop talking about it."

"Yeah," Kara agreed, suddenly itching to flee to the comfort of Alex.

"How did you know the bomb was in there?"

"Kara!" Alex's call made Kara jump slightly. "It's time for dinner!"

"I don't know how I knew it was in there; I just did." Kara gave Winn quick hug. "I've got to go help Alex with dinner but I'll see you soon."

Kara could feel Winn's confused gaze on her back as she climbed over the fence and jogged back inside but she knew that she was safe.

Winn was a good friend. Maybe, someday, he would help protect her secret while actually knowing what it was.

* * *

"Hey, there's something I want to talk to you about." Alex tightened her grip on the folder of paperwork she was holding in her lap.

Kara glanced up from her empty plate that had been filled with spaghetti only a dozen minutes ago. Alex couldn't hold back her smile as Kara's blue eyes fixed their sight on her.

"Is it good?" Kara sat up straighter. "You're smiling."

"I think you'll think it's good." Alex took a deep breath. She had considered the possibility that Kara wouldn't want to be adopted but she was determined to at least make the offer. "I talked to J'onn and he agreed to help with all the paperwork; the DEO can create the identification and…"

Kara stared at her blankly and Alex realized she was rambling.

"I…" Another deep breathe. "Kara, do you know what adoption is?"

Kara tilted her head slightly. "Isn't it where a person takes guardianship of a child that isn't…" She stopped, her eyes widening, mouth forming a small o.

"If you want, I'd like to adopt you, Kara, to make us a permanent family, forever."

There. She said it. Alex felt a wave of anxiety wash over her as she carefully watched Kara's reaction. The girl was frozen, not saying anything.

"But, only if you want to. And I totally understand if you don't, I can never replace your parents… I just…"

"Yes!" Kara finally unfroze, throwing herself at Alex. "Yes! Yes! I do want to!"

"Ugngh," Alex grunted, the wind completely knocked out of her as they tumbled to the floor.

"Oops!" Kara scrambled off the agent and helped her up. "Sorry, I'm just so excited!" The blonde began jumping up and down, her smile lighting up the entire room.

"Come here." Alex held out her arms and Kara jumped into them, wrapping her arms around Alex's neck and her legs around her waist as the older woman spun her around. After a couple minutes of laughing, their frenzy slowed.

"I love you," Alex kissed Kara's forehead. "So much." She felt her heart might burst with the amount of love she felt. She would protect her little girl with all she had.

"I love you too." Kara laid her face against Alex's shoulder. "Are…" she paused.

"What is it?"

Kara reached out her small hands and carefully cupped Alex's face for a moment.

"Are you sure?" Her wide worried blue eyes searched Alex's expression.

"One hundred percent." There was no hesitation in Alex's voice. "Kara Zor-El, you are already a permanent part of my heart, family, and life. This only makes it official."

"Official," the Kryptonian repeated, a small smile spreading across her face before worry took over once again. "What if…"

Alex shushed her.

"No matter what happens, I will _always_ be there for you, whether it's right by your side or in your heart."

* * *

Official.

 _Step_.

Official.

 _Step_.

Official.

 _Step_.

Kara punctuated her walk with the word, eyes fixed on her blue sneakers as she made her way through the newly opened school hallway.

The school was strangely subdued, kids quieter than usual as they made their way to their classes. Only subtle reminders of the explosion remained; walls freshly painted in a fresh coat that shone in contrast to the slightly grubby undamaged areas. New doors guarded the cafeteria that was sporting a complete makeover, where Kara was currently heading to for lunch with her friends.

Kara pushed the thoughts of the explosion out of her mind, focusing back on her feet and her repeated mantra.

Official.

 _Step…_

"Ah!" Kara ran smack into someone. "I'm so sorry, I wasn't looking…" She scrambled for the papers that she had knocked out of the other student's arms.

"It's okay."

Kara finally stopped chasing papers and looked up at the person she had run into.

It was the dark haired girl who sat alone in the cafeteria. Kara faintly remembered Winn pointing her out as Lena Luthor. The way he had said the name had made it sound like that was a really bad thing. From the way the other students avoided her, Kara had thought maybe it was; she thought she might be really mean or something.

Kara blinked and held out the papers.

"Here. Sorry for running into you," she apologized again, hoping the girl wouldn't yell at her.

"That's okay." The girl took the papers, keeping her head down and avoiding eye contact.

Kara tilted her head slightly, surprised.

Lena Luthor seemed… scared of her?

She bit her lip.

 _Official._

"I'm Kara." Bolstered by her excitement over Alex's announcement earlier, Kara held out her hand.

The girl glanced up, and Kara could see she had bright green eyes.

"You probably don't want to do that," the girl said, glancing at Kara's offered hand.

"Why?" Kara slowly lowered her hand, brow crinkling with confusion.

A group of girls brushed past them whispering, casting obvious suspicious glances at them before disappearing into the cafeteria.

"That's why." The girl winced slightly.

"Oh." Kara shrugged. _When you had seen your entire planet explode, social gossip didn't matter so much._ "I don't really care. I'm Kara, it's nice to meet you."

The girl looked surprised, eyes brightening as she slowly took Kara's hand.  
"I'm Lena."

"Come on, you can come sit with my friends and I for lunch!" Kara pulled her forward.

"I don't think…" Lena's protests fell on deaf ears as they wove through lunch tables to the one near the corner that Kara and her friends always sat at.

"Guys, I invited Lena to sit with us!" Kara announced.

To her surprise, all of her friends just stared at her.

"I'm sorry." Beneath her dark hair, Lena's face flamed. "This was a bad idea, I'm going to go…"

"No, wait!" Kara stopped her before turning to her friends. "Guys, what's wrong with you all!"

Lena interrupted. "It's fine. Really."

"No it's not!" Kara crossed her arms.

"Kara…" Lena's face was resigned, her green eyes dull. "My brother has done some really bad things. Things nobody wants to be associated with…"

"Is that why…" Kara turned to her friends who looked away guiltily, confirming her suspicion. Anger flared quickly. "Are you guys going to let Winn sit with us when he gets here? How about me? Will you let me sit with you when my aunt has done bad things?!"

For a moment it was silent. Then Barbara stood up.

Suddenly Kara was filled with fear that she had upset her friends; she wasn't trying to be mean, she just couldn't understand why they were acting that way… Her mouth dried and she opened it to say something when Barbara walked toward Lena and stuck out her hand.

"I'm Barbara. You're welcome to sit with us whenever you want. Sorry we were being idiots."

The brunette carefully took the offered hand, speechless.

The rest of their table got up to offer introductions and hellos, Barbara moving beside Kara to make room. She put a hand on the Kryptonian's shoulder.  
"Nice work, Kara," the older girl smiled. "You seem to always be saving us."

Kara froze. Barbara _knew_ she was the one who found and threw away the bomb.

"Are you…" she whispered.

"Your business is your business," Barbara said quietly. "If you want everyone to think it was Winn, then I have no problem with that. I don't need to know why. Just tell me if you ever need my help and I'll be there."

Kara swallowed hard.

"Thank you."

Barbara draped her arm over Kara's shoulders. "No, thank _you_."

Her friends, Kara decided, were one of the best things about earth, right after Alex. And Kara realized, glancing at Lena who was talking shyly to James, she had just made a new one.

 _Official._  
The word whispered in her mind and Kara couldn't help but beam.

"What are you grinning about?" James teasingly bumped her shoulder.

"I'm just thinking that today is a great day."

* * *

 _"Where were you?"_

 _"Do not question your general."_

 _"How about my wife, can I question her?"_

 _A pause.  
"It is none of your concern." _

_"You are still obsessing over your niece, the Zor-El… I thought you renounced that name and all it means!"_

 _"I did! Never question that!" The tone took a dangerous turn._

 _"Then why did you ask the telepath to locate this Cadmus you have been hunting for? You seek to exact revenge!"_

 _"Since when do my private matters require your rebuke?"_

 _"Since they have pulled away your focus from our goals. You are our general; we cannot afford for you to waver in your commitment."_

 _"Do not dare to question my commitment! Cadmus is a threat to all alien life; already they have captured and killed some of our soldiers."_

 _A moment of silence.  
"You didn't care until your niece's name was thrown into the list of their victims. Your supposed motives might convince the troops but I know otherwise." _

_"My loyalty lies with our cause and your loyalty is to me, so do not question my alignment unless you wish me to question yours. You know what that would mean."_

 _The quiet stretched across a couple second, the unspoken threat hovering thickly in the air._

 _"Understood, my general._

* * *

 _ **Question of the day: Marvel or DC?**_

 _ **(I know this is a kind of weird question because this is literally in a DC fandom but just wondering. Personally, I love Black Widow but I'm not very happy with Marvel's neglect of her and other women characters. DC, in my opinion, seems to be doing better with representation of women. But that's just me.)**_

 _ **Catch you at the next chapter! Action will begin happening again very soon!**_

 _ **~silverlining**_


	22. Nightmares

_**Hello lovely readers!**_

 _ **Okay - I REALLY enjoyed your thoughts on Marvel vs DC. Such good points. Both have pros and cons for sure and I like the distinction some people made about TV shows versus movies. For example, I loved Jessica Jones! (Season 2 is coming out in almost a week!) Also... Black Panther! Then there are so many good DC shows... Anybody else out there a Felicity Smoak fan? I love her.**_

 _ **Alright on to the story before I keep going on forever!**_

 _ **I WARNED YOU THAT THE ANGST WAS COMING... WELL HERE IT IS!**_

 ** _I apologize in advance for the craziness of this chapter. Lol. Sometimes I just can't stop myself._**

 ** _I would LOVE your feedback on what happens next! There is one specific question I have for you, my lovely reviewers and readers, so I've made a poll. More info at the bottom!_**

 ** _Disclaimer: I do not own Supergirl..._**

* * *

A bright green glow was the first thing that Kara saw when she opened her eyes.

"No." The world tilted beneath her feet as she tried to scramble up from the metal cot. "No!" She tried to fly, tried to use her laser vision to burn an escape, tried to push her way out of the cell but nothing worked.

"No, no, no…" Kara crumpled to the ground.

Two black combat boots stepped into her vision and she looked up slowly.

"Alex."

The agent was dressed in a white lab coat. She tilted her head and examined Kara without emotion.  
"What's going on? Alex!" Kara tried to reach the woman but Alex stepped back, surveying the girl below her stonily. "Alex!" Kara tried again.

"I don't know you," Alex said, dark eyes hard. "You are nothing."

Kara froze.

"I thought…. I thought you wanted to be a family…"

"You thought wrong, _alien_."

Suddenly Kara noticed that in Alex's hand was a syringe. She tried to move away but looked down and found herself strapped into a chair.

"Alex…. Alex! Alex, no!" she sobbed as the woman approached her with cold eyes and raised the needle.

"No!"

"Kara!"

Blue eyes shot open as Kara physically dry heaved, scrambling away.

She fell to the ground, a mess of blankets, tears, and sweat.

"Kara!"

A hand touched her and Kara flinched violently away, curling in on herself as she tried to orient herself.

"I'm sorry, I won't touch you. I'm right here, when you're ready. It was just a dream, Kara. It's okay."

A dream.

Kara's wobbling world slowly steadied as she examined the room and found nothing glowing green, no cell walls, no laboratory coats…

A dream.

The familiar sight of her room flooded back into her awareness, the faint smell of the lavender detergent Alex used to wash her sheets and blankets tickling her nose slightly.

Kara looked down at her wrists. They were free of any restraints.

She turned toward the doorway, finding Alex's sitting silhouette against the hall light behind her.

"Alex." Her voice trembled and she didn't hesitate in her movement into the agent's arms.

"Hey. Hey, it's okay." Alex hugged her close, stroking her hair.

"I… I had a nightmare. A really bad one." Kara buried her face in Alex's shoulder. "Something is wrong. Something bad is going to happen, I can _feel_ it."

"Kara, nothing bad is going to happen," Alex cupped her face, dark eyes soft with worry.

Suddenly the image of Alex clad in a white lab coat flitted through her mind and the air rushed out of Kara's chest.

"Love, what are you thinking?" Alex didn't miss the way Kara stiffened and pulled away slightly.

"You said you… you said you didn't know me, you called me an alien…" Kara started crying. "You were going to… there was a needle…" Her breathing caught on a sob.

"Hey, hey, Kara." Alex rubbed slow circles on the girl's back. "It wasn't real. You're safe and we are a family. Forever."

Kara calmed down incrementally but was still trembling.

"Something is wrong," she repeated.

It was over an hour before Alex was able to get Kara to fall asleep again, but even then, she couldn't wipe away the look of pure distress that had haunted Kara's bright blue eyes.

* * *

A harsh ringing woke Alex up. Glancing at the clock, she saw it was barely an hour since she had gotten Kara asleep.

She blinked her eyes blearily and put the phone to her ear, accepting the call.

"Agent Danvers."

J'onn's tone of voice pushed away any trace of sleepiness. Alex sat up in bed.

"What's wrong?" she asked, already pulling out her combat clothes.

"It's Astra."

"Astra?" Alex froze for a moment before renewing her efforts with increased urgency. "What's going on?"

A sigh.  
"We brought her into custody. She was targeting people she thought were connected with Cadmus."

Alex swore, her heart racing.

"We will talk about how she knew that name later," J'onn's voice was low. "Right now we have a major scene on our hands… people are dead, we don't have enough evidence to make a case against Cadmus, and General Lane is coming. He wants to take Astra back to his base. He wants to talk to you about Kryptonian physiology."

 _"Shit._ " Alex pulled on a bulletproof jacket. "J'onn, this is my fault, I…"

"Agent Danvers, whatever you do, do _not_ finish that sentence." J'onn cut her off.

"Fine." Alex bit her lip. "What am I going to do with Kara?"

The line was silent for a moment.

"Bring her but _keep her away from Lane._ If you need to talk to Lane, myself or another agent will watch her. We don't want to bring any attention to her; it was nearly impossible to get Lane to leave her with us the first time."

Alex took a deep breath.

"Understood."

She shoved the phone into her back pocket, running to Kara's room.

The girl was already awake and standing fully dressed with a backpack over her shoulders.

"You heard?" Alex took her hand.

Kara nodded.

"It's going to be okay." Alex pulled her close in a hug for a moment before ushering her through the hall.

"I'm not sure," Kara's face was pale. "Something is wrong. Really wrong."

"Stay with me," Alex said, holding her hand tightly. "We're going to get Astra out of this situation."

"It's not that," Kara shook her head, face eerily pale. "I just have this feeling…"

Alex opened the car door and Kara scrambled into the back, buckling in as Alex went around to the driver's seat.  
"What feeling?" Alex started the car.

"I don't know."

The car lurched into motion as they sped through the dark empty streets, the time far too early for anyone to be up and about. Alex was about to ask Kara another question when her phone rang, _Henshaw_ flashing across the screen.

"What's up?" Alex touched her ear, turning on her speaker there.

"Alex, something… happening…" Static alternated with J'onn's hazy voice.

"You're breaking up. What's happening?" Alex's brow furrowed.

"Agents… not making it…. DEO."

"I can't understand…" Alex checked her signal. It was strong.

"…En route… none… no sign…" The sound faded into solely static.

"What the…" Alex decided to pull over. "Hold on, Kara."

 _Agents en route not making it…_ Her brain automatically pieced together J'onn's disconnected words.

A huge event bringing in all the agents to the DEO.

Interference of signal.

Alex's eyes widened.

It was a trap.

"Kara, hold on!" She spun the car around in a sharp turn, rubber screeching against asphalt. Several black cars pulled out of the shadows around them in pursuit.

"What's…" Kara suddenly doubled over, both her hands going to her ears.

"Kara, what's going on?! Talk to me," Alex tried to keep her voice even as she watched the cars that were beginning to gain on them, maneuvering the car the best she could at a breakneck speed. "Kara!"

The girl was still bent over, clutching her head.

"Kara, please!" Alex was almost screaming, desperation lacing her words.

"You have to stop!" Kara suddenly said, blue eyes frantic. "You have to stop!"

"What are you hearing? Kara, tell me!"

Their car shuddered as it scrapped against a fence as Alex deftly avoided another car that had blocked their path.

"They said they will blow up the car if we don't stop! Alex, you have to stop!" Kara sobbed. "Please! Alex!"

Alex bit her lip so hard it bled, screeching the car around another corner.

"You won't be hurt if there is an explosion."

"But you will!"

They slammed partially into a guardrail as one of their pursuers edged them off the road. There were too many of the black cars, closing in. Sparks lit up the right side of their car and for a split second Alex caught Kara's terrified gaze in the rearview mirror.

The guardrail shuddered on their right side but held. The car on their right pressed harder. The sparks and scream of metal on metal grew more intense.

They were slowing down.

Alex knew what was about to happen.

She turned in her seat, locking gazes with Kara.

"Kara."

"No." Kara shook her head. "No, no, no…"

Alex didn't stop. "You need to fly out through the roof of the car and away from here. Go as far as you can and don't trust anyone but J'onn and my mom, okay?"

"No, I can't! I don't have enough control over my flight! I can only do it when I'm happy!"

"Try, Kara!"

"They said they will kill you if I don't come with them," Kara sobbed, wincing and touching her ears.

"I will be fine, go!"

"I won't leave you!"

The car groaned around them.

The bullet came out of nowhere, hitting Alex square in the chest. Her body jolted, head colliding hard against the glass window.

"ALEX!" Kara wailed, scrambling forward.

The car doors opened around them.

Kara screamed, light shooting from her eyes, clinging to Alex's limp form.

The last thing she saw was a sickeningly familiar green glow.

* * *

 ** _Ahhhh_**

 ** _I did apologize!_**

 ** _Okay: here's your chance to give some input that I will actually consider and use as I write the next chapters. Obviously not everybody will see everything they want happen but if I see some themes/consensus, I will definitely go that direction!_**

 ** _Here's the poll question: Should Alex be captured with Kara or left behind? Go to my page to find the poll link!_**

 _ **Question of the Day: Batman or Superman?** **Wonder Woman** **or Supergirl?**_

 ** _Bonus question: What do you want to happen next?_**

 ** _See you soon!_**

 ** _~silverlining_**


	23. Let These Hands Go

**_Okay, if this were a college discussion class, you all would be getting 200% in participation grades! (does anyone out there have discussion sections with participation grades? I hate those lol)_**

 ** _Seriously. The responses were amazing and I love all your thoughts and points regarding the question of the day and this story in general!_**

 _ **Polling the responses and poll results as well, it looks like Kara and Alex are going to be kidnapped together! But I've put some elements of** **separation** **in there also so it's going to kinda be both...**_

 _ **Keep giving me your input! I've written out quite a bit so I can give you all quicker updates, but I still am looking for your thoughts and desires!**_

 _ **Shout out to those who answered the poll with "You are evil" - I agree and this one is for you! ha ha**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own Supergirl... something that Kara and Alex are probably very grateful for, based on the things I put them through.**_

 _ **Take a quick breath and prepare for angst.**_

 _ **Have you taken that deep breath?**_

 _ **Okay, let's go.**_

* * *

A faint dripping noise drifted into Alex's consciousness.

The next sensation that flooded her awareness was the hard cold surface beneath her.

"No…" Alex sat up suddenly, wincing at the pain the movement sent racing through her head and body. "Kara!"

She was in some sort of glass room, in the middle of the much larger expanse of an abandoned warehouse.

Adjacent to her prison was another one, separated by a clear wall.

In that room was a metal bed and on it laid a very familiar small blonde.

No.  
No no no no no….

"Kara!"

Alex stumbled to the clear wall, putting her hands against it, catching her breath in relief as she saw that Kara's chest was slowly rising and falling.

Alive.

But far from safe.

Alex almost threw up when she saw a metal band wrapped around each of the girl's wrists, a glowing green stripe across it. With every moment she became more aware of where they were, the stronger her sense of horror and fear grew.

"Kara. Come on. Wake up," Alex pleaded, pressing her palms against the glass, trying desperately to get some sense of why the girl was unconscious.

The girl didn't move.

"I am so sorry Kara. I'm going to get you out of this mess. Just hold on."

Alex let her aching head rest for a moment against the glass, her heavy breathing fogging the glass lightly.

"I was quite annoyed when they shot you."  
Alex spun around, body tensing.

"I have to apologize for the accommodations; we're in a move between facilities and you happened to join us at the unfortunate time of transfer. I assure you, the place we will ultimately arrive at will be much nicer."

A woman with blonde hair pulled tightly into an elaborate bun stood watching, pale eyes hard and icy.

"Don't worry; when we make it to our final destination, you will not have to share your space with an alien. Our resources are slightly more limited in this location so we all have to make do for the moment."

The coldness of the woman's gaze as she glanced at Kara's still form was hardly comparable to the fiery anger Alex felt.

Slowly the agent stepped toward where the woman was standing in front of the cell, every feeling of pain in her body suddenly irrelevant; only the fury that coursed her every fiber mattered.

"I will kill you." Alex's voice was low and steady. "I will cut open your chest and put your body on display as an exhibition of what a person born without a heart looks like."

The woman raised a well-defined eyebrow.

"You are mistaken, Alexandra Danvers. What I do is not because I have no heart but precisely _because_ I have one. I'm no different from you; we both want to save the world from aliens."  
Alex shook her head, hands curling into fists.

"I don't even care what lunatic ideas you have about me, just _let Kara go._ " Alex took a deep breath. "Do whatever you want to me. But let her go."

The woman crossed her arms, eyes hardening.

"There is no her. In the cell adjacent to you is an _it._ An _alien_ , an invasive species that seeks to drain our home of its lifeblood and subject humankind to enslavement."

"She's a kid!" Alex yelled, shaking her head, dark eyes wide. "She hasn't done anything wrong! In fact she _helps_ people; she's saved lives! Human lives!"

"That is what it wants you to think. Alexandra Danvers. You need help. That _thing_ …"

The glass right in front of the woman's face reverberated as Alex punched it.

"Don't call her that, you crazy bitch."

Clearly the glass was some synthesized substance like bulletproof glass because it gave no signs of impact and Alex had really packed everything she had into that punch.

Lillian Luthor faltered slightly at the strike but quickly regained her composure.

"Enough about the alien. Clearly you are not ready for this conversation. Let's go back to the beginning. I am Lillian Luthor and I will be your gracious host for your stay." Something twinkled darkly in the woman's dark eyes.

"Luthor…" Alex took a deep breath. "Your son…"

"Quiet!" Lillian Luthor's jaw clenched. "I wasn't finished."

Alex just crossed her arms.

"As I was saying at the beginning of our conversation, I was quite put out that one of my agents shot you. My apologies. How prudent of you to wear a bulletproof jacket." Lillian's blue eyes rested for a moment on the small hole in Alex's jacket right over her heart. "Despite our rocky start, I want you to trust me."

"And why the hell would I do that?" Alex nearly laughed.

Lillian Luthor did not smile.

"Because, Agent Danvers, our fight is not with you. You are an innocent victim."

Alex closed her eyes for a moment.

The woman in front of her was clearly insane. Images of alien bodies flooded her mind and she let her fear fuel her resolve, hands curling into fists.

She had to get Kara out of here. Fast.

"And…"

Alex looked up.

"You have a vast knowledge of alien physiology. You would be a helpful member of our team."

Alex felt physically sick at the thought of what the Luthor woman was suggesting. She was about to tell Lillian Luthor exactly what she thought about her when a small voice caught her attention.

"Alex?"

Kara was sitting up, blue eyes wide.

"Kara." Alex put her hand against the wall separating them. "It's going to be okay. Look at me, it's going to be okay."

Fear flickered in the girl's expression but she kept her eyes on Alex.

"You're hurt," Kara's brow creased.

"I'm okay, love." Alex assured her.

"Heartwarming." Lillian Luthor's voice was hard. She raised her hand and several guards stepped forward. "Inform Parks that Alien #379 is awake."

"Alex…" Kara's eyes widened, her gaze flitting toward the Luthor.

"It's going to be okay," Alex promised before turning back to Lillian Luthor.

It took Alex every ounce of her self-control not to attack the wall keeping her and the woman apart. But she put aside her feelings for a moment, focusing on the goal.

Kara.

"You said I could trust you," Alex said slowly.

Lillian Luthor tilted her head slightly in a nod.

"Then raise the wall between our cells," Alex gestured at Kara's cell.

Luthor's eyes hardened.

Then, after a moment of silence, she nodded.

"So be it."

Alex slid under the rising glass panel before it even got halfway up, half running, half stumbling to Kara's side.

"Baby, it's okay, I'm here," she breathed, cupping Kara's face and kissing her forehead before pulling her close.

When she looked back outside the cell, Lillian Luthor had disappeared.

"Alex."

A sob brought her attention back to the girl in front of her.

"They shot you," Kara whispered, clinging to Alex tightly.

"I had a bullet proof jacket on. I'm okay," Alex stroked Kara's hair, worriedly noting that the girl did not have her super strength.

"Your head..."

Alex touched her temple and tried not to wince.  
"I'm okay. Can I make sure you aren't hurt?" Alex held Kara's hands.

"I'm not hurt," Kara bit her lip.

Alex paused her in her quick examination of the small Kryptonian, her fingers brushing against the metal bands around Kara's wrists. Already, the skin around them was slightly raw.

An image of what shape Kara had been in when she found her caused Alex to close her eyes momentarily, stomach rolling.

"Any of your powers?" Alex checked, worriedly looking at the Kryptonite emitters on the girl's wrists.

Kara gripped the edge of the bed, wincing as it held firm, and shook her head.

"Okay." Alex took a deep breath, closing her eyes again as she mentally tried to come up with some semblance of a plan."That's okay. We will be fine."

"I'm sorry."

Alex opened her eyes. Kara was staring at the floor, a silent tear rolling down her face.

"Hey, hey, you have nothing to be sorry for," Alex's brow creased and she knelt in front of her little sister.

"If it weren't for me, you wouldn't be here," Kara looked up.

"Kara…" Alex was speechless.

Kara looked away.

"Kara Danvers Zor El."

A ghost of a smile appeared on Kara's face as her eyes slowly found Alex's.

"You've never called me that before," she said.

"Kara Danvers Zor El, this is exactly where I want to be." Alex tilted her head slightly. "Well, if we could both be at home, eating potstickers and watching TV, I would much prefer that. But at least we are together. Because where you are, that's where I want to be. That's what it means to be family."

"I love you." Kara wrapped her arms around Alex.

"I love you too, kiddo," Alex held her close. "I'm going to get us out of here, I promise." They stayed like that for a moment before Alex gently took Kara's hand. "Let's take a look at those bracelets from hell."

* * *

(line break)

Kara closed her eyes slightly, fighting the wave of nausea that washed over her as she leaned against Alex.

They had been in the cell for what felt like forever and Kara knew it was only a matter of time before she was separated from Alex.

Kara had heard the entire conversation between Alex and the woman who called herself Lillian Luthor.

They didn't want to hurt Alex. She was human. They wanted her help.

The knowledge made her racing heart slow slightly.

Alex could be safe.

Kara had seen her planet explode, been kept as an experiment in a lab, learned how to live with her new world, made friends, found a family…

Here she was, right back where she started.

But she was _different._

If they wouldn't hurt Alex, then Kara would be okay, no matter what happened.

Kara closed her eyes, taking a deep breath, chasing the thread of peace that wove a maze around the mess of her thoughts and emotions.

Finally, she grasped it, held on tight.

Kara was scared. Terrified. Her worst nightmares were coming to life and there was nothing they could do to stop it.

But this time there was hope.

J'onn would come for them. Alex would never give up on her. Kara would never give up on Alex. And this time, Kara had the knowledge that someone out there cared for her to hold onto.

Even if they physically isolated her, Kara wasn't alone anymore. And she was at peace. If she didn't make it, at least she knew her cousin was safe, she was loved, and she would be remembered.

Kara hugged Alex more tightly, somehow knowing what was coming.

"You okay, love?" Alex blinked sleepily.

"Alex?" Kara took a deep breath.

"What's up?" Alex turned to look at her and Kara almost cried at the concern and love in her older sister's dark brown eyes.

Kara pressed on. "They won't hurt you if you do what they want."  
"You heard the conversation," Alex's face morphed into one of realization.

"If something bad happens to me, it's not your fault," Kara continued.

"Kara, stop." Alex grabbed her hands, her brow furrowing. "What are you talking about? We are going to get out of here."

Movement caught their gaze, a group of agents armed with glowing green weapons walking across the warehouse to them.

They both knew what they were coming for. Or rather who.

"Please, just do what they want and be okay," Kara swallowed hard, fighting her terror. "It's okay."

"Kara, stop." Alex was standing up, looking between Kara and the guards approaching.

Kara had to keep going. She had to tell Alex these things.

Just in case.

"I just want you to know…" Kara gathered her thoughts. "I want you to know you're the best thing that ever happened to me on Earth and I love you so much."

"Kara." Alex's eyes were glazed over with tears. "Kara, we're going to be fine."

Kara couldn't hold back her own tears anymore. "I need you to know…"

"Kara, no." Alex was trying to push her behind her; Kara could see her hands folding into fists, her readiness to fight. She caught the older agent's fists and uncurled them, looking into her older sister's dark eyes and smiling slightly as she memorized her face.

"I need you to know that none of this is your fault. You gave me the best experience on Earth I could have ever asked for."  
Her legs were starting to shake as the door to their cell slid open, the green glow encroaching on her vision.

She would not be scared. Not yet.

Kara fixed her gaze on Alex's deep kind eyes.

"You are the best sister anybody could ever ask for."

She dropped to her knees, faintly aware that Alex was holding her tight while also trying to fight off the guards.

Like an old enemy, the green tinged darkness beaconed her into its familiar chokehold.

"I will come get you and you will be fine," Alex whispered into her ear.

"Do what they want and be safe, please," Kara begged as rough hands grabbed her.

"I am coming for you. Just hold on, okay? I love you Kara. I love you Kara."

They were the last words Kara heard before she was pulled away.

* * *

 _ **omg**_

 _ **i am evil**_

 _ **Quick note: I know it seems like Kara is being extraordinarily mature for her age, which is true, but she's also gone through a ton and I think sometimes kids hold a greater understanding of the world than we think they do.**_

 _ **ALSO, I said above that I would be kidnapping both, which is true even though this chapter has a** **separation** **. You can find some hints of what is in store if you look carefully enough...**_

 ** _Moving forward, I still want to hear your thoughts and I'm going to try to keep updates fairly fast for you all._**

 ** _Keep letting me know what you think and what you want to see!  
_**

 ** _Question of the day: Let's think of something happy... okay, plant preferences! Cacti/succulents or flowers?_**

 ** _~silverlining_**


	24. Holding On

_**Hiiiiii**_

 _ **So I realized the last two chapter ended in ALMOST THE EXACT SAME WAY**_

 _ **Lol sorry about that. Bad writing moment from me; please forgive me! I've posted this chapter early to help make up for the that! (I take my writing quality very seriously. Well sometimes...other times I'm like "this plot sucks but I want angst so OH WELL!")**_

 _ **Thank you all so much for the responses and input, as well as just reading, favoriting, or following!**_

 _ **Jules, my lovely reviewer: A special note for you since I can't PM you. I love your reviews and you are such a sweet and amazing person. It doesn't matter that I don't know you in person, I can tell! I'm about ten years older than you but I've always also been more mature than my peers. Part of it has been living with anxiety from a young age and being super existential. It hasn't always been easy (sometimes very much not) but I've found my peace with who I am (smiley face). Not to be super cliche but I hope you always embrace yourself for who you are! Also, my page is just my writer profile here on the site, just click on silverliningineachcloud!**_

 _ **Okay.**_ _ **Onward we go!**_

 _ **Here's the next chapter!**_

 _ **I'm sorry. The angst is not ending anytime soon...**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own Supergirl. Don't sue me, I need money to feed my cat.**_

* * *

A sharp pain seared through Alex's arm as she punched the wall.

She didn't care.

She punched it again, uninterested in the smear of blood she left on the glass.

 _"I need you to know that none of this is your fault. You gave me the best experience on earth that I could have ever asked for."_

It had been hours since they had taken Kara and Alex was no closer to her than she was the moment they had dragged her little sister out of her sight.

She had fought like a wildcat but there were too many of them. One pinned her down while the other slammed her so hard against the ground she was still seeing stars.

When she confusedly swam back into awareness, Kara was gone.

Oh god, Kara, they had Kara.

The realization re-hit her every couple minutes and each time it drove the stake of fear further into her heart.

Much farther and she feared her chest would split open.

Alex leaned heavily against the wall. She could still see Kara's strangely calm expression, those beautiful sky blue eyes fixed unwaveringly on hers even as the world around them crumbled.

 _"Do what they want and be safe, please."_

The girl had begged _her_ to be safe.

Alex punched the wall again, the sickening crack resonating through the silent space.

"That doesn't look particularly productive."  
Alex twirled, her eyes burning with hatred.  
"Where is Kara? Where did you take her?! What are you doing with her?!"

Lillian Luthor sighed.  
" _It_ is in transport to our new facility, if you must know."

"Take me to her," Alex demanded.

"Why do you care about the alien so much?" Lillian Luthor narrowed her eyes, pacing slowly. She stopped and considered Alex for a moment. "Is it mind controlling you?"

"Oh my god." Alex stared at her. "Are you serious?"

Luthor tilted her head.

"You… you actually totally don't get it."

Lillian Luthor's face was tight, lips pressed together in a thin line.

"Enlighten me, Agent," she said tersely.

Alex laughed, a harsh bitter sound.

" _Kara_ , who you think is mind controlling me into loving her, was begging me to do what _you_ wanted me to do up until the moment she went unconscious from the kryptonite levels." Alex took a step closer, her angry breathing fogging the glass. "If you want to base humanity off of the ability to feel empathy and love, my little sister is far more human than you are. Are you even _capable_ of feeling _anything?_ "

Lillian's pale eyes flickered.

"I feel far, far more than you could ever imagine," the woman hissed and for a split second Alex saw the depths of fury held in those calculating eyes, roaring like the inferno of hell.

Then it was gone and a calmly composed Lillian Luthor turned away. "I will have to rethink your use to this organization but I am not ready to give up on you, Alexandra Danvers. Guards, get her ready for transport to Frystad."

Before they grabbed her and shoved her into a small private plane fit with its own detainment unit, Alex painstakingly spelled out a message on the glass wall behind the bed with her own blood, grimacing at the horrible cliché-ness of it.

 _You had better find this J'onn,_ she thought silently.

(line)

* * *

Kara breathed in and out slowly, willing her body to stop shaking but it was out of her control.

 _You can do this._

Whatever substance they had injected her with was burning like fire through her veins, sapping all her energy.

"Looks good." A scientist marked something on tablet while another doctor examined the countless scans they had taken.

 _Alex will kill you all,_ Kara thought silently, keeping her gaze steadily on the white wall in front of her.

She almost smiled at the thought of Alex.

 _"I am coming for you. Just hold on."_

As another needle entered her arm, she closed her eyes and imagined that she was at home with Alex and Eliza and Winn was just next door…

Unlike her old dreams of Krypton, this image was a potential future reality and Kara immersed herself in it.

 _I'm holding on, Alex. Just be okay so I have something to hold on for._

* * *

"I hope the new lodging is to your liking."

Alex turned to face Lillian Luthor.

Finally.

She felt like she had been in this new spot for a week.

Her new cell was more or less an enclosed room, the front glass that gave her a view into a hall of rooms identical to her own.

The air was cool, the lighting glowed from strips on the ceiling and walls; she even had a light switch to adjust them. The bed was not too uncomfortable and there was a tiny bathroom off the main room. They had given her food twice, although she didn't touch any of it.

As prisons went, not too bad.

However, Alex could have cared less.

"Where is Kara?"

"I assume you are referring Alien #379." Lillian Luthor looked slightly annoyed. "Do you wish to hear my proposal? I assume you've been wondering why we've kept you so long."

Actually, Alex had been wondering exactly that.

"Go ahead, I can't wait to hear what new twisted ideas come out of your mouth that will convince me of levels of inhumanity I thought were impossible," Alex said dryly.

Lillian Luthor's eyes flashed and she turned to the man in the lab coat standing readily beside her.

"Inject her."

The man nodded and approached the door.

"What the…" Alex readied her fists. "Touch me and you die."

"That won't do," Luthor shook her head disapprovingly. She tapped the glass of Alex's cell and a video feed of Kara suddenly appeared.

"Kara…" Alex stared in horror at the image of the small blonde slumped over in a chair, different tubes running from her arms. "What did you…"

"Far worse can be done if you don't comply."

Slowly Alex raised her hands up in surrender.

"Alright. Inject me or whatever."

"Good." Lillian tapped the glass again and the image of Kara disappeared.  
With a nod from Luthor, the scientist came in with a couple guards. They pushed Alex down roughly into a chair and the man in the white coat pulled out a strange metal contraption. He put Alex's wrist in a hole in the middle and pressed a button.  
Alex gasped as something pierced her skin, closing her eyes for a moment to let the pain roll off.

A small remote-like item was waved over the fresh wound and after a moment it beeped and flashed green.

"Excellent. Dismissed."

The scientist scurried off.

"Your proposal?" Alex looked up, holding her wrist in her good hand.

"Yes." Lillian Luthor smiled. "You have been injected with a chip. If activated, it will grant you access out of this room and into select areas of the facility.

"Why would you do that?" Alex stared.

"In exchange for your service."  
Alex's heart dropped as the woman once again tapped the glass, bringing up scans and images of different aliens of all shapes and forms.

"Your work is quite impressive Agent Danvers. Or perhaps we should switch to Dr. Danvers."

Alex couldn't hide her horror as she recognized some of her own papers and research from college. "My work is meant to help other beings. I would never help you with what you are doing."

Lillian Luthor just waved over a young woman in a lab coat. "This is Dr. Cranwell, I'll let her explain the situation from here."

"Thank you," Dr. Cranwell dipped her head, not a single hair on her head out of place. Her dark eyes were cold and calculating as she began tapping the screen.

Several images of a young alien popped up, internal scans, different test results, x-rays…

"Kara." Alex breathed.

"Alien #379 is one of our most fascinating specimens," Dr. Cranwell's words were short and crisp. "Our current work hopes to uncover the source of its cells incredible ability to rejuvenate under the yellow sun."

"You're sick," Alex ground out.

The doctor did not pause.

"We have gathered all the data we can at this point and are realizing we need to go a step further. An expert on physiology would be a great asset to our team as we begin to prepare for further examination through surgery."  
Alex's face drained of color.

"You deranged… If you think I would _ever_ hurt…"  
"Dr. Danvers, if you were on the team, you could give your pet alien the best possible treatment," Lillian Luthor's smile was cold as she cut Alex off. "You could oversee the operations and ensure the alien's safety."

Silence.

"I want to see her," Alex's heart was racing as she used every ounce of her willpower not to throw up. She stood, stepping forward. "I want to see Kara.

"Not so fast. If you want a place on the team, you need to offer some useful information first."

Alex racked her brain furiously.

The absolute last thing she would ever do was endanger Kara. But if she could get close to her… maybe she could somehow get them out of this.

She decided on a piece of information she couldn't think of any way they could use to hurt Kara, given that she was pretty sure what methods they were already using.

"I assume you're using Kryponite for containment?" Alex asked. Dr. Cranwell nodded. "You should use red solar emitters in the room instead. They will bring her down to human strength without the poisonous effects. Your chances at…" Alex grit her teeth and continued. _For Kara._ "Your chances of getting accurate readings from tests will be much greater under red light because the Kryptonite functions as a poison and goes beyond removing Kryptonian powers to actually inhibiting the functionality of the cells."

"Do you know how to make such an emitter?"

Alex nodded. "If I have the right parts." _I'm coming, Kara._

Alex's wrist beeped and the door clicked open.

"Welcome to the team, Dr. Danvers," Lillian Luthor smiled. "I trust you understand what will happen should you try anything stupid."

Alex put on the white lab coat they offered her, skin crawling.

* * *

Somewhere in the haziness of the most recent drugs, Kara found J'onn in her backyard.

"Kara, are you okay? Where are you? Where is Alex?"

His voice was deep and gentle in her mind, able to get past the fences she had fortified against the spears of pain besieging her.  
Kara ran her hands through the grass below her, glancing around her backyard.

"It's quiet here," she commented, glancing over at J'onn who was standing near one of the fences in Martian form, peering at the advancing forces.

"Kara, think, is there anything you can tell me that would help find you?"  
Kara looked down at the ground.

"I can't remember."

"You can remember," J'onn assured her. "I know you can."

"But I don't want to."

A bird sang in the oak tree and Kara examined the little sprouts she had planted with Alex in their tiny first attempt at a garden.

"I'm sorry, Kara," J'onn knelt beside her. "I know you don't want to leave this place but I need you to try to show me anything you can."

Kara glanced at him, shaking her head.

"Please Kara. For you. For Alex."

At the agent's name, Kara bent her head slightly. The ground shook slightly beneath them as she closed her eyes. Their surroundings rippled and suddenly they were in an empty warehouse. Kara sat on the metal bed while J'onn looked around. Faintly, they could hear bullets of pain pelting the concrete walls surrounding them, held at bay for the moment.

"This is where we were first." Kara shrugged, drawing her knees to her chest. "But they took me somewhere else. Do you want me to show you?"

"Not yet." J'onn looked around.

"What are you looking for?" Kara asked.  
"Any clues your subconscious has left that could help me locate this place."

"Oh."

Kara watched the Martian pace around the large room, peering out the window, looking at everything.

"Can't you ask Alex? She would know more. She'd be more helpful I think." Kara followed J'onn around the room with her eyes.

"You're doing just fine. Besides, Alex is awake. It's much much harder for me to project thoughts into conscious minds," J'onn explained. "There are too many barriers people put up when they're awake. Given the distance, it's challenging enough for me to be here at all; a unconscious mind is all I can handle at the moment."

Kara considered that.

"Are you really coming to get us?" she asked quietly.

J'onn glanced at her. "Yes."

"Good." Kara relaxed slightly. "I'm not sure how long I can hold on," she sighed as a bullet finally tore through the cement wall, causing her body to spasm.

"Kara." J'onn moved back to her. "You're going to be fine."

"The last place… I'll show you," Kara groaned, glancing down as an IV appeared in her arm.

The world rippled around them once more and they were in a white laboratory. Several scientists roamed around them, and Kara bit her lip as another needle appeared in her other arm. Moments later, an oxygen tube showed up, the thin plastic running from her nose to a machine.

"I'm worried about Alex," Kara sighed, struggling to keep her eyes open.

"Don't worry about Alex, she'll be fine," J'onn assured her, eyes scanning the room frantically before landing on one scientist. His face hardened for a moment before he turned back to Kara, kneeling beside her. "You've given me more than I need to find you. We're coming, okay?"

Kara nodded, feeling the dull ache of pain crashing up against the laboratory walls. They would cave any moment.

"I'm not ready to go back out there," she whispered, grabbing J'onn's hand. "Don't leave me here."

"I will help you."

J'onn placed his hands gently on either side of Kara's face, pressing his index fingers lightly against her temples. "I can give you some of my mental energy to replenish yours."

The ground shook and the world rippled for a moment then they were once again in the grassy backyard.

Kara smiled, glancing down at her arms that were free of needles. She went to the fences and checked their strength, pleased at their firmness. They would hold until she was ready to let them down.  
"Thank you, J'onn," she smiled, hugging the Martian fiercely for a moment. J'onn gently kissed her forehead.

"We're coming. Hold on."

Kara sat down with a small smile, picking a few blades of grass and beginning to braid them. "I am holding on," she assured the Martian.

"Good."

* * *

(line)

 _ **Small note: I know that J'onn is not supposed to be able to read Kryptonian minds, but 1. Kara doesn't have her powers so maybe he can now? and 2. I really really wanted him to be able to enter her mind so I could do that last scene so #noregrets**_

 ** _Sorry to draw out the angst. I really am having too much fun here. Peak angst is either going to be next chapter or the one after it. You have been warned._**

 _ **Question of the day: iPhone or Android? (not to start a war or anything but I'm curious what you all think)**_

 _ **Bonus question: do you prefer I split the next update into two** **manageable** **chapters or do one** **monstrously** **long chapter? I'm down for either, just let me know.**_


	25. The Meaning of Love

**_Hello!_**

 ** _Here's one REALLY LONG chapter for you all._**

 ** _As always, thank you for your support! It means so much to me!_**

 ** _No author's note at the end because I didn't want to ruin the moment._**

 ** _The question of the day, if you're reading this, is pen or pencil?_**

 ** _Also, I know there's a slight potential loophole but I'll give my rationale later, I don't want to ruin anything._**

 ** _I apologize in advance for what is about to happen..._**

 ** _Disclaimer: I do not own Supergirl._**

* * *

"It's done. Let me see her." Alex stood beside her work.

"We need to ensure it works first." Dr. Cranwell motioned to a guard.

"If Kara has been exposed to Kryptonite, which I know she has, her body is going to need some time to fight it off and recover," Alex took a deep breath, stepping toward the woman.

A guard caught her arm and Alex resisted the urge to deck him in the face.

"You want my help? Let me help," Alex clenched her jaw.

"You have already helped." Dr. Cranwell was already flipping through her notes.

Alex clenched her fists so tightly her nails bit into her skin.

"The attachment you have is fascinating," Dr. Cranwell did not look up. "If I were a psychologist, perhaps I would run the two of you through all sorts of simulations to test it. But I don't really care." She finally looked up, cold eyes appraising Alex. "I only care about biology. What's under that Kryptonian skin…" She smiled slowly, sickeningly. "I intend to find out."

"I need to assess how she's doing. I know more about her than you do; you're going to kill her."

"Do you know the extent of the alien's healing?" Dr. Cranwell put her notes down. "Is it regenerative to the point it could regrow a limb? Or an organ?"

"I have no idea," Alex grit out, struggling to breathe through the waves of fear crashing over her. "Let me see her. I gave you what you wanted."

Dr. Cranwell considered her for a moment before shrugging. "I need a full assessment." She nodded slightly at the guard, who pulled Alex forward.

Finally they arrived at a laboratory deep in the bowels of the facility and Alex saw her.

"Kara…" she whispered.

The girl was lying on a bed, deathly still. Wires taped in various places, tubes running to different machines and IVs. Her skin was pale, shadows as dark as bruises beneath closed eyes.

Alex turned to Dr. Cranwell only to find herself thrown back by a savage blow to her head. One guard pinned her down while another kicked her in the stomach, sending her on her knees retching. Blood dripped down her chin from her split lip, staining the white lab coat.

"Lillian Luthor may think you're a scientist at heart, but I know you're an _agent_." Dr. Cranwell sneered. "You need to know your place. What we do here is delicate, precise. There is no room for the blundering passions of a fighter, only the careful calculations of intellect and fine motor abilities."

Alex didn't fight back as the guard kicked her again, unwilling to risk doing anything that would make them separate her from Kara.

The only thing she cared about fighting for was merely feet away, one door away.

"I need to assess her," Alex coughed, blood splattering onto the concrete. "I need to see the drugs you've been giving her. You could kill her with those careful calculations if you don't know what base physiology you are dealing with."

She met Dr. Cranwell's gaze unwaveringly.

"You've seen my file. You know I have the intellect and skills to be in that room."

The woman stepped forward slowly, crouching to look Alex in the eye.

"If you try anything, there will be no going back. I will personally ensure that you watch while we push Alien #379 to the brink of death and then bring it back, over and over and over again. Do you understand?"

Icy fear clutched Alex's chest as she stared into the soulless eyes of the young doctor.

This woman would do everything she promised and more.

"I understand."

The door opened.

"Kara," Alex couldn't stop herself from rushing to the girl's side. "I am so sorry," she whispered, finding her girl's small hand and holding it, trying to avoid the IV sticking out of it.

A tear fell down her face before she could stop it, stinging as it ran into the cut on her cheek.

Feeling Dr. Cranwell approaching, she steeled herself.

"What cocktail drugs are in these IVs?" Alex asked, her voice hard.

A lab assistant began rattling off names of drugs.

"Kryptonite emitter levels?"

She reluctantly let go of Kara's hand to take the tablet handed to her, examining the specs and levels of the room and the emitters on Kara's wrists, then looking at Kara's vital signs, her heart dropping.

They were slowly killing Kara with the combination of the drugs and Kryptonite. Her vitals were dropping at a rapid rate that caused Alex's body to go numb with fear.

Strangely, Kara's brain waves were active, although she remained unmoving.

 _I hope it's a good dream, little one,_ Alex brushed a strand of hair out of the girl's face before deciding her best course of action.

"She needs to go under a sun bed to heal," Alex turned to Dr. Cranwell.

"Absolutely not." The woman's voice was hard.

"Then you need to turn off the Kryptonite emissions," Alex shot back, deftly pushing buttons on the tablet. "You're poisoning her; in combination with the drugs it's too much for her system. She is not a full sized Kryptonian, you can't treat her like one; her body can't handle this much. Switch to the red solar lights if you want, I don't care, but you need to turn off the Kryptonite."

There was a tense silence during which nobody moved.

"Look, if you want to look at these vitals yourself, go ahead!" Alex barked. "You want my expertise on Kryptonian physiology? Here I am."

Dr. Cranwell nodded slowly and a lab assistant went to a panel in the wall.

Alex turned back to Kara, finding her hand again. She increased the oxygen levels going to the girl, checking her blood pressure before turning to the lab assistant. "We need to flush some of these drugs out of her system. Can you prepare a solution?"

The assistant glanced at Dr. Cranwell who raised an eyebrow at Alex.

"You did your experiments with these hideously designed cocktail drugs, got your damn results, now you _need_ to get them out of her bloodstream." Alex was physically shaking with anger.

"I can make a solution," the assistant turned to a cabinet filled with different bottles and substances.

"This better not be a trick," Dr. Cranwell's presence was like an ominous cloud.

Alex lost it.

"Listen. I'm trying to keep Kara alive; you and your goons almost _killed_ her. _You have no idea what you are doing._ Unless you want to explain to Lillian Luthor that her deranged plans have failed and you killed the one alien she most wanted to find, I suggest you listen to me."

Alex's eyes sparked, her nostrils flaring with anger.

Dr. Cranwell's dark eyes darkened with resentment. "Nobody speaks to me like that," she hissed.

"I don't give a fuck how people talk to you."

Dr. Cranwell turned to the lab assistants. "Do what she says within reason but if anything is suspicious, notify me immediately. The guards will supervise as well. I have surgeries to prepare for."

The doctor paused.  
"You will regret that."

Then Dr. Cranwell was gone.

As soon as she left, Alex set about making Kara more comfortable, every instinct in her body begging her to take her girl and run.

She hated the position she was in, it was all she could do to hold in her fury and make calm rational decisions.

Kara depended on it.

"Hey kiddo. I love you," Alex whispered. "You're going to be okay."

Kara stirred slightly, her eyes blinking slowly.

"Kara." Alex's eyes widened. Kara was conscious. This was a very good sign.

"Alex," Kara murmured. "You're here." Her brow creased in confusion.  
"I'm going to help you as much as I can," Alex promised her, shoulders shaking with restrained anger. "You're going to be okay."

"You're hurt," Kara's face scrunched in concentration as she tried to reach up to touch Alex's face.  
Alex caught her hand and held it tight. "I'm fine. I love you."

Kara clung to her hand weakly. "I love you."

Tears welled up in Alex's eyes, the feeling of helplessness suffocating. Kara looked so so tiny, so fragile… She needed help, sunlamps, safety... "I'm so sorry. You know you're the best thing that has ever happened to me, right?"

"I told you that first." Kara smiled slightly. "You remember…" She closed her eyes for a moment, grimacing. "It's not your fault…"

"Don't you dare start that again," Alex shushed her. "Tell me how you're feeling?"

"Sick," Kara groaned. Alex noticed the sweat beading on her forehead.

"Can you get her some water?" Alex turned to the lab assistant who had prepared the solution for her. He nodded, grabbing a cup. "Thank you." She took it thankfully, before turning to help Kara take small sips.

The water seemed to refresh the girl, her blue eyes brightening.

"Wait, I almost forgot," Kara tried to sit up.

"No, no, don't move," Alex gently pushed Kara back down. "Just tell me."

"I saw J'onn," Kara whispered.

Alex looked at her confusedly.

"In my head. He was there. He's looking for us," Kara explained, one hand fiddling with the oxygen tube in her nose.

"Don't touch that, love, it's helping you." Alex didn't quite know what to do with Kara's announcement. "Of course he's looking for us, kiddo."

"He's coming." Kara relaxed. "I showed him where we are. He said it was enough to find us."

Alex bit her lip. Was Kara hallucinating? She checked the girl's temperature, concerned to find it higher than normal.

"You need to rest, okay? Your body needs time to heal."

"Okay," Kara agreed sleepily. "I like going to the backyard. Maybe J'onn will be there again."

"I love you. I am fighting for you, no matter what," Alex kissed her hot forehead. "You're going to be fine."

"Love you too." Kara's eyes fluttered closed as she drifted off.

Alex stroked her hair, fighting the tears that threatened to spill.  
She didn't care that she probably had several broken ribs at this point, that her every breath sent pain searing through her body; she only cared about keeping Kara safe.

"Does she need anything else?" the lab assistant asked.

Alex bit her lip. "She shouldn't be doing this badly, I'm not sure what is happening." She furiously looked over all the data and levels again. "I mean you guys have poisoned her but her system should be fighting back more than it is…" She stopped and turned to the lab assistant. "You said she, not it."

The assistant shrugged, looking away.

"She's been muttering your name ever since she got here. She must really love you."

"She wouldn't leave me when Cadmus closed in," Alex stroked the girl's hand. "She could have gotten away."

"I know, I've seen the footage. She almost took down an entire troop of CADMUS operatives."

Alex paused.  
"What?" she turned to the man. "She what?"

"I can show you," the assistant took the tablet and quickly pulled up a video.

The footage seemed to be coming from a body camera, shaky and dimly lit.

Yet Alex could clearly see her own form, turned around in her seat, talking to a small blonde girl in the back seat. Suddenly she saw herself thrown back by some invisible force. Involuntarily, Alex's hand flew to her own chest, feeling the dark bruised area the bullet had hit her, her head aching at the footage of her own head cracking against the windshield.

Kara's reaction was instantaneous; she jumped forward, wide eyed with panic. Alex raised a trembling hand to her mouth as she watched the girl arch her back in some desperate scream, her eyes shooting blue light all around.

The body cam was briefly blocked as operatives yelled in panic, running away, hitting the ground.

"Oh my god." Alex watched as Kara continued to scream, her eyes alight. Like some scene straight out of a science fiction movie, she shot light all around from her eyes, hands out stretched, surroundings bursting into flames.

Then all of a sudden it stopped. The girl crumpled and the green glow of kryptonite weapons approached.

The lab assistant turned off the video.

Alex turned back to Kara, stroking her hair slowly as her brain worked to process what she had just seen.

The words fell from her lips.

"Solar flare."

"What?" the assistant turned to her. "Did you say something?"

"Solar flare," Alex repeated more loudly. "Kara didn't lose her powers because of the Kryptonite, she solar flared!" Alex began to pace, limping slightly. "I've seen this before, it's happened to Superman. They're the same species and Kara just did the same thing. That means she was already in a weakened state when the levels of Kryptonite were added on top and then whatever else you bastards did to her! No wonder her system couldn't handle it; it was already depleted!"

The lab assistant stared at her.

"What does this mean?"

Alex swallowed hard, panic drumming a desperate rhythm against her chest.  
"Even under the sunlamps, Kara isn't going to heal."

* * *

"Kara."

Kara looked up from the plants she was tending, setting down the watering can on the path. "Hi J'onn! What are you doing here?" She moved to give him a hug, giggling as she playfully wiped the dirt on her hands on his suit.

"That's no way to greet a friend," J'onn's laugh was deep but his red eyes were worried. "How are you doing Kara? Are you hurt? You're unconscious again."

Kara felt something tug in the back of her mind stir but could only identify the feeling of confusion.

"What?" she tilted her head slightly, looking around her. "I'm awake and talking to you, J'onn. I'm not unconscious," she smiled slightly, wondering if it was some sort of joke.

J'onn's concerned expression deepened. "Kara, how did you end up here?"

Kara glanced around the back yard, her smile faltering as she took in the shining sun and slight breeze.  
"I… I don't know. I don't remember," she frowned. The scene around her rippled slightly and a dull ache of worry suddenly hit her. "J'onn, stop."

"Where is Alex?" J'onn asked.

The world rippled again and Kara closed her eyes as the feeling that something was very very wrong hit her. She tried to push it away, not wanting to remember. "Stop it, J'onn!"

"Kara, it's okay for you to be here but you have to know it isn't real," J'onn knelt beside her. "As soon as you believe this is real, your body will stop fighting whatever is making you unconscious."

Images and memories flickered back into Kara's mind and she squeezed her eyes closed, trying to keep them at bay. "I'm scared. It's easier here."

"I know." J'onn put an arm around her. "It's going to be okay. But you have to fight for us. I can't lose you and neither can Alex. You're important to us."

"I don't want to lose you both either," Kara looked up. "Alex is hurt. I don't know how to help her. I'm so scared."

"I came to tell you I'm on my way," J'onn put his hand on Kara's shoulder. "We are coming."  
Kara's eyes widened. "How…"

"I'll tell you later," J'onn promised. "I need you to help us."

"Me?" Kara tilted her head, confused.

"You have to give Alex a message."

Kara looked around her at the peaceful backyard. "I have to leave?"

"Kara, you know this place isn't real. Alex isn't here."  
Kara bit her lip. She knew J'onn was right. Even if things were calm, it wasn't _real_. And Kara would rather be in a chaotic world with Alex than a calm one without her. She had to go back. She had to fight. She had to get her body to wake up or this world might swiftly change into a prison.

After all, if Alex wasn't there, it wasn't a very perfect place, was it?

"Okay." Kara nodded her head. "I'm ready. What is your message?"

J'onn told her.

Gritting her teeth, Kara bowed her head and opened her mind. Her surroundings shifted around her and suddenly she found herself deep deep underwater.

Holding her breath, she squinted up to see the faint light of the distant surface. Desperately, she swam and kicked, trying to get to the top.

Her air was running out. She was still so so far… She just wanted to sink down into the deep nothingness.

 _"You can do it, Kara."_ J'onn's voice was like a push upward and she continued to fight.

Just when she was sure she wouldn't make it, she found herself gasping in air as she hit the surface and reality flooded back to her.

* * *

Agent Alex Danvers was not one to wait to be rescued.

She wasn't one for waiting in general, especially not when lives were in danger.

When that life was Kara, her little sister, her little girl, her _family_ , she wasn't going to waste a moment.

She needed a plan, stat.

The problem was, her hands were tied. They were tucked away in some labyrinth of crazy laboratories, probably underground, under constant surveillance. Kara needed the medical support Alex had access to here and Alex wasn't even sure how much longer her body was going to hold up. She had held off in examining her own injuries, focusing on Kara instead. But when she let down her guard down for even a moment, she knew she was in _pain_. Possibly some sort of internal bleeding was happening, one of her ribs might be pressing against her lung but at least it wasn't punctured, she would be able to tell if _that_ happened…

She caught her own gaze in the shiny surface of the metal cabinet and grimaced. Blood was had dried on her cheek, her temple, her chin... Kara must have been really scared to wake up to her face; she basically looked like a zombie.

Alex took a deep breath, wincing slightly even at that movement.

Plan.

That's what she had been thinking about.

"We need sun lamps to make sure my theory about the solar flare is right," Alex straightened.

The lab assistant, Alex didn't even know his name, looked hesitant.  
"In order to check that, we're going to have to not only give her sun but take away the kryptonite…"

"Yes," Alex nodded. "That is correct."

The man bit his lip. "We can't do that."

"What's your name?" Alex asked.

The lab assistant looked at her hesitantly. "Connor."

"Okay. Connor. I don't know how you got here or why, but look at me right now and tell me whether you can live with this girl dying on your hands."

Connor glanced down.

"It's an alien…"  
"Don't even try that," Alex cut him off. "I know you know better than using that to justify what is happening here."

Connor glanced at the guards in the hall.

"I'll show you how to set it up."

Halfway through the process of getting the sunlamps running, Kara woke up with a strangled gasp.  
"Kara!" Alex grasped her hand "Hey kiddo. How are you feeling?"

Kara groaned, blue eyes blinking confusedly.

"Here we go," Connor spoke up and the sunlamps turned on, flooding Kara in their warm light.

Wincing at the sudden brightness, Kara squeezed Alex's hand weakly.

"I have to tell you something."

Alex bit her lip, praying that Kara wouldn't start talking as if she were dying again. Alex didn't know if she could take that.

"What is it, love?" she asked gently, keeping an eye on Kara's solar levels, which were completely depleted. _Please, please let me be wrong and heal_.

Kara shifted closer to her, playing with her fingers. "It's a message, from J'onn."

"Okay." Alex worriedly noted that Kara still did in fact have a slight fever. The solar levels weren't rising… _it probably takes time, right?_ "Tell me."

"Hmm…" Kara closed her eyes slightly.

"Kara, stay with me," Alex lightly stroked her hair.

"Oh." Kara looked confused for a moment before her gaze cleared. "The black fox hides in its burrow and the owl hunts mice under the full moon. "

Alex's eyes widened.

"Is she delusional?" Connor glanced at her.

"She has a fever, I think she's hallucinating," Alex lied; trying to process what Kara had told her.

"I'm not!" Kara tried to sit up.

"Shh," Alex kissed her forehead. _"I know you're not,"_ she whispered in the girl's ear.

Kara smiled slightly and settled back down.

Solar levels were still showing no improvement and Alex busied herself rolling up Kara's shirt and shorts so that as much skin was showing as possible while still protecting the girl's privacy.

 _The black fox hides in its burrow and the owl hunts mice under the full moon._

It was her code with Henshaw, Alex had no idea _how_ but clearly Kara had somehow gotten a message from him.

Black fox hiding in the burrow was them; they needed to stay under the radar and hide while the DEO infiltrated and took the base down. That was the owl hunting mice part, which Alex knew would be accompanied by a blackout due to the night analogies. All of it would go down at midnight, or the full moon.

"What time is it?" Alex glanced at Connor.

"Eleven fourty-eight," he said, glancing at his watch.

Twelve minutes.

Alex looked at the solar levels. Still nothing.  
There should at least be _something._

"What the hell is going on here?!"

Alex turned to find a livid Dr. Cranwell in the doorway.

* * *

Kara screamed as Alex was suddenly pulled away from her, the agent's hand roughly yanked out of her own.

"Alex!" She sat up, ignoring the wave of pain the motion brought.

Two large guards were struggling to restrain Alex, the woman fighting furiously.

"She needs the sunlamps!" Kara faintly heard Alex yelling. "Just let me explain!"

"Get rid of her," a calm voice ordered.

"Stop!" Tears came to Kara's eyes as one guard landed a punch to Alex's jaw. Her sister was outnumbered and already injured. "Please, stop!" She gathered her strength and yanked off the various tubes and wires, jumping off the table.

Something hit the sunlamps behind her, causing them to explode at the exact same moment that one of the guards managed to twist Alex's arm so far behind her that she cried out.

"No!" Kara screamed, mirroring the pain in Alex's voice.

Then, suddenly, amazingly, Alex twirled around, yanking the guard's arm to cause his head to dip down at the exact same moment she brought her knee up to slam the two together. Nose gushing blood, he dropped like a rock. Another guard threw himself forward, only to be met with the metal pole that had been supporting an IV drip.

Sneaking up behind her, another guard suddenly lunged at the agent.

"Alex, watch out!" Kara threw herself forward, attaching herself to the man's leg. It was the best her body could manage at the moment and she gave it her all.

"Don't kill it, we need that alien alive!" someone screamed.

"Get off!" the man shook his leg.

"Don't you dare touch her!"

"Leave Alex alone!"

Kara fought like a wildcat as someone pulled her off, nails roughly scraping skin. The person swore and dropped her. Kara took advantage of the chaos to scramble under a table after someone's fallen gun.

Alex needed a weapon if she was going to survive.

Kara's hands wrapped around the heavy metal.

"Alex!" she called out.

The agent knocked down a guard then turned to her. Kara slid the gun across the room, praying it would end up in the right place, and Alex somehow deftly swooped down and picked it up.

"Get down!" Alex shouted and Kara scrambled back under the table as gunshots rang out.

So so many gunshots. Kara closed her eyes and put her hands over her ears, hoping everything would be over so and in the wake of it all Alex would still be standing.

Sudeenly cold hands wrapped around Kara's arms and she found herself being pulled out from under the table.

Everything seemed to shift into slow motion. Guards lay still on the ground. Alex turned, ragged coat stained with blood. She raised her gun as crimson leaked from the corner of her mouth, eyes alight with fury.

"Not so fast."

Kara felt a slight twinge as a needle pricked her neck.

"Let's play our own version of Russian roulette, Agent Danvers," the scientist holding Kara said, her voice silky. "I don't know what's in here; I just grabbed the first syringe I found."

"Inject that in and I kill you," Alex's chest heaved, her gaze unwavering even as one of her eyes was almost swollen shut.

Kara winced as the scientist pressed the needle slightly further.

"If you don't put down that gun, we can both find out what is in this thing."

Alex hesitated.

"Or," the scientist pulled Kara closer. "You can listen to me and I'll let your alien go."

"Don't do it Alex!" Kara begged. "She'll kill you."

The way Alex looked at her, Kara knew that the agent already knew that.

"Please. Alex," Kara sobbed, tears streaming down her face. "Don't do it."

Alex lowered the weapon slowly.

"Slide the gun over to me and put your hands on your head."

"Alex, no!"

Horrified, Kara watched as Alex complied.

* * *

Moving was agony.

Alex pushed the gun across the once clean laboratory floor, the dark metal streaking the floor bright red as it slid through a pool of blood.

Not moving her gaze from Dr. Cranwell who held a syringe to Kara's neck, Alex slowly held her right arm up, left arm hanging uselessly by her side.

Kara looked terrified and Alex's chest ached as she met the girl's wide blue eyes.

 _"It's going to be okay,"_ she wanted to say, wanted to gather the girl in her arms and assure her they were all going to be fine.

Dr. Cranwell picked up the gun, letting go of Kara, who crumpled to the ground.

Seeing the syringe finally away from Kara's neck, Alex felt like she could suddenly breathe again.

The feeling didn't last long as Dr. Cranwell brought down the butt of the gun on Alex's head, causing her to collapse into a swimming agony. The world tilted as Alex blearily fell to her knees. She blinked blood out of her eyes, staring up at the young doctor.

"Going to kill me like the coward you are?" she spat.

Dr. Cranwell examined her almost curiously, dark eyes blank of emotion.

"I am going to kill you. But there is something I want you to see first."

Alex's blood ran cold as Dr. Cranwell pulled out the syringe.

"No…" Alex reached out one trembling hand. "Stop." She coughed and blood dripped unnoticed from her lips. "You said you'd let her go!"

Dr. Cranwell just smiled, walking to Kara and yanking her up by her hair.

"No!" Alex tried to drag her broken body forward as Kara whimpered in pain.

A gun sticking out of the holster of a fallen guard caught Alex's eye. She reached with trembling bloodstained fingers, finding it just out of her grasp.

 _If she could just reach it…_

"Just think. All this trouble for one alien…" Almost lazily, Dr. Cranwell raised the syringe.

Alex lunged, a scream tearing from her throat at the excruciating pain the movement brought, something in her body snapping.

A gunshot rang through the air.

Slowly, almost curiously, Dr. Cranwell looked down at the red flower blooming across her white lab coat.

Still, the woman smiled.

Something was wrong.

Alex suddenly noticed that the syringe the doctor had been holding was now empty.

"No!"

Dr. Cranwell fell to the ground lifeless, a cruel smile still playing on her lips.

The air fled Alex's lungs as her eyes moved to Kara. The girl's face drained of color as she fell to her knees.

"Kara," Alex gasped. She couldn't breathe, couldn't catch the elusive element of oxygen.

"Alex." Kara crawled forward, tears streaming down her face.

Alex closed her eyes momentarily as she wrapped her good arm around Kara. "You're going to be fine." Slowly she moved them to the wall, propping her broken body up in a sitting position against the surface, grabbing a gun, ready to shoot anyone who entered.

Kara's body spasmed suddenly and Alex held her tight, fighting to remain conscious.

The shouts of guards came closer, more and more alarms blaring.

"You're hurt," Kara whispered. "They hurt you."

"It's going to be okay," Alex murmured, holding Kara's hand tightly.

"I love you," Kara looked up at her, blue eyes fixed on Alex's.

"I love you so so much." Alex stroked her hair, her broken and bruised fingers trembling over the silky gold strands.

Kara squeezed her eyes shut, her body suddenly beginning to shake uncontrollably.

"Just hold on," Alex held her close, not able to stop the tears streaming down her face. "Hold on, Kara."

Suddenly the lights went out, plunging them into darkness. Screams and gunshots filled the air. The alarm on the wall beat a lazy rhythm into the air, a red light brightening the room then pulling back into pitch black.

Red light. Darkness.

Pain. Comfort.

Tears. Love.

 _"Alex, where are you?"_ J'onn's voice rang in Alex's head.

 _"Lab."_ Alex showed him, laying out the image of the room and how she first got there. _"Hurry."_

Alex felt Kara spasm again against her.

Red light. Darkness.

 _"Hurry."_

Pain. Comfort.

"Kara." Alex's own breathing was irregular, gasping, desperate, yet she focused all her energy on the girl beside her.

"…best thing… on earth…" Kara murmured, her eyes glassy.

Tears. Love.

"What is?" Alex felt pain rip through her chest but she wasn't sure if it was her injuries or the fact that she could see Kara fading away right in front of her.

Kara smiled faintly.  
"You."

"You're the best thing in the galaxy," Alex whispered.

Kara's smile widened at that, face lit up by the flickering alarm light.

Red light. Darkness.

Pain. Comfort.

Tears. Love.

This was the rhythm their hearts slowly carved into time.

"Sisters forever." The small Kryptonian's eyes fluttered shut.

"Sisters forever," Alex choked out, the edges of her vision going dim.

* * *

Only minutes later, a strong beam of light held by a dark skinned man found them; two limp figures propped up against the wall of a once pristine laboratory, bodies strewn all around them.

Shouting for help, he rushed forward.

Neither figure stirred but their hands remained entwined.


	26. This Sea Between Us

_**My beautiful wonderful readers.**_

 _ **Thank you for the amazing responses to the last chapter! It seriously warmed my heart and inspired me to not only keep at this story but gave me renewed effort for my own private non-fanfiction writing. You all are so kind!**_

 _ **Also, a quick note (not because anyone has brought this up but because I see my own loophole and it bothers me): Okay, so Kara** could_ ** _have had an adrenaline spike that restored her powers but I think it would be unrealistic for that to happen when all her body's energy is going to keeping itself alive._**

 ** _That being said, am I drawing out the angst? Absolutely._**

 _ **This chapter is not as good as the last one but I hope you all still enjoy!**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own Supergirl.**_

* * *

Alex's first thought when she blundered back into consciousness, wrapped in the confusion of hospital sheets and painkillers, was the realization that she wasn't dead.

"You were, actually, but they restarted your heart."

Alex slowly opened her eyes, moaning slightly at the bright light of the world.

"It's…" She winced, her throat gravelly. "It's not nice to read people's minds without permission."

God, she sounded like she had spent a week eating sand.

J'onn chuckled, a deep smooth sound.  
"Not a week," he said. "Just three days. Three long days."

Alex was silent, desperately trying to hide the question her mind was screaming, terrified what the answer might be.

"Turn to your left."

Slowly, painfully, Alex turned her head.

On the bed across the room, with lamps, wires, tubes, and machines set up all around it, lay a small girl. Her chest slowly rose and fell as doctors fluttered around her.

"Kara," Alex whispered.

"She isn't out of the woods yet but her body is fighting hard." J'onn touched Alex's hand gently. "But let's focus on you for the moment, okay? You gave us quite a scare."

Alex closed her eyes briefly.

 _"I can't lose her."_ Alex thought the words she couldn't even bear to say, pushing them to the forefront of her mind for J'onn to see.

 _"I know."_ Even in her mind, J'onn's voice was calming.

A sob caught in Alex's chest, causing excruciating spikes of pain to shoot through her body.

 _"It's going to be okay, Alex."_ J'onn was sharing waves of comfort with her but they did little to combat the tsunami of fear and pain she felt.

 _"Tell me J'onn. Tell me what was in the syringe."_

 _"Not now. Not until you are a little better."_ J'onn pushed images of herself, unconscious, doctors rushing around her bed. _"You almost died."_ She could feel the martian's panic as he shared a memory of her being resuscitated.

Alex wasn't interested in the replay of her own death and revival.

 _"Tell me now."_ She shared the memory of Kara seizing against her at the lab, of her blue eyes dulling as she lost consciousness, pushed it against J'onn's mind. _"Tell me."_

There was a moment of silence.

 _"A bacterial infection. It caused sepsis; her body fought it off but she is now unresponsive."_

Alex could tell that J'onn was trying to share feelings of positivity and comfort with her but she blocked them out, drowning in her own fear.

"Alex."

This was a new voice and Alex opened her eyes to find her mom rushing in the door. "Mom," Alex sobbed, suddenly overwhelmed with everything that had happened. For a moment she was just a daughter desperately needing her mom.

"My little girl," Eliza embraced her the best she could, gently avoiding the tubes and wires.

"Kara…" Alex choked out.

"I know." Eliza stroked her hair, her face weary. "She's going to be okay. She's a Danvers and Danvers are fighters."

* * *

(line)

Somewhere in the swirl of darkness, Kara found herself fighting to find her footing.

Sometimes she was aware of small things, a hand squeezing hers, a whispering voice, a faint beeping.

Other times, there was nothing.

Most confusing were the memories.

Fading in and out at random, Kara found herself plunged into worlds that no longer existed, moments that felt excruciatingly real yet had a familiarity that never accompanied the present. She walked the paths of Krypton and tiled floor of her earth school, spent time with her mother and father, Astra, and Alex in empty repetitive scenes. And although there was vibrancy in some of the moments, everything faded and blurred into the mixture of confusion.

Faintly, Kara knew something was wrong, that something waited beyond the unseen walls of her mind. But it was like trying to dry off while floating in the middle of the ocean. There was no surface to pull herself onto, no foothold to facilitate movement.

So Kara became more and more lost at sea.

* * *

The next time Alex made her way back to consciousness, J'onn was nowhere to be seen while her mom was quietly talking to a doctor.

Quickly turning her head, Alex exhaled softly as she found Kara's still form across the room, chest gently rising and falling.

Suddenly Alex was overwhelmed by the desire to be next to her girl. She slowly sat up, ignoring the violent protests of pain her body made. Surely she wasn't that hurt…

"Alexandra Danvers!"

Eliza turned at just the wrong moment and Alex winced at the look on her mother's face.

"Lie back down _right now_."

Alex might be a secret agent, who daily faced death, was skilled in combat, and able to kill someone with anything in a room, but she knew when her mother used that voice, she had better listen.

"Kara?" Alex rasped, swallowing painfully. "How is she?" At least her voice sounded a little better.

"She's hanging on." Eliza's eyes saddened incrementally. "Let's talk about you for a couple minutes though. You passed out before we could earlier."

Faintly, Alex realized that she in fact had no idea what had happened to her body except that she had vivid memories of getting beaten up.

As if on cue, maybe there was one that she had missed, a doctor walked up to Alex.

"It's good to see you awake again," she gave a smile that Alex did not return.  
"Tell me about Kara."

The doctor shook her head. "Let's talk about you."

 _Why does everybody keep saying that?_

Resignedly, Alex allowed the doctor to continue.

"When you arrived in our care, you were going into cardiac arrest and your body was in shock. You had massive internal bleeding and one of your broken ribs had pierced your lung. We were able to stabilize you before multiple surgeries to stop the internal bleeding as well as repair your lung, but we almost lost you on the table. Currently, you're on a cocktail of painkillers and antibiotics; we only were able to introduce the painkillers after we were sure there wouldn't be adverse affects due to your concussion. We reset your dislocated left arm but there is some lasting damage. We were able to stitch up the various lacerations you had; you broke five ribs but they will heal, as will the bruises. Our main concern is the post-surgery healing of your organs, particularly your lung…"

Alex had zoned out partway through, her dark eyes finding Kara's form. Following the slight movement of the girl's breathing seemed to be the only thing she could handle under the waves of drugs she could feel coursing her system.

"Alex!"

Her mother's voice brought her back with a jerk and she winced as her chest twinged with pain.

"Alex," Eliza said more gently. "Did you hear…"

"Yep." Alex nodded hazily, looking back at Kara.

"Alex, _please_ , I know you love Kara but you also need to take your own recovery seriously. If not for yourself, then for Kara."

Alex didn't look away from the still form of her little girl.

"If you were in my position, what would you do?" she asked her mother quietly.

Eliza dipped her head slightly.

"She's holding on but…" Eliza's voice shook slightly. "Her brain activity is beginning to fall. They're worried she's falling into a coma."

Agonizingly, Alex's breath hitched in her chest.

"She's been through so much," Eliza shook her head. "The doctors are worried that… that she's giving up."

Alex clenched her jaw.

"I have an idea."

Her mom looked at her incredulously, probably because she was barely even alive herself, let alone fit to bring another person back to health.

"Don't worry, it doesn't involve me moving. At least not in this world."

"What…" Eliza's brow furrowed with confusion.

"We need J'onn."

* * *

"Kara."

A thread, woven in and out of the web of Kara's mind, trembled slightly.

"Kara."

The whole web rippled, shimmering in the masking fog but Kara couldn't manage to move herself to investigate.

"Kara?"

The voice grew came closer before piercing through the fog. A dark haired woman appeared behind the web surrounding Kara, carefully trying to make her way through the many strands blocking her way.

"Kara!" The woman locked eyes with her.

The web shimmered and shifted around the woman.

"Alex?" Kara slowly got to her feet. "Alex!" The surroundings brightened in vibrancy.

However Kara couldn't make it more than a couple steps before falling back to her knees, strength exhausted. The colors around her faded slightly, muting and mixing.

"Kara!" Alex struggled to move forward, still trapped in the maze of threads. Her brown eyes looked worriedly around at the dulling world.

"I'm so tired." Kara blinked slowly, surroundings greying further.

"Look at me."

Alex's voice drew Kara's gaze upward.

"I can't go further, you have to come to me," Alex reached out, even the flesh of her outstretched hand muted in color, becoming grey.

Kara let her fingers sink into the ground beneath her, tired of memories and confusion and half realities.

"Are you real?" she asked.

Alex nodded gently. "J'onn brought me in."

Something stirred in Kara's chest and suddenly the world around began regaining its color.

"Are you alive?" Kara wrapped her arms around herself, pulling up a memory of Alex, bleeding on the ground of the lab, to show to the current Alex in her mind.

Alex watched the memory quietly before turning back to her.

"I'm alive. We're all okay; me, J'onn, your friends, my mom… we're just waiting for you." Alex shared an image of a hospital room, of Eliza's gentle face, and Kara's whole body ached as her conscious brushed up against the vivacious energy of Alex's mind.

She wanted to be with them. So badly.

A rush of desire mixed with hopelessness filled Kara. She wanted to come back but she had spent so much time trying and had gotten nowhere.

She was trapped.

"I can't." Kara turned away, the ground beneath her disintegrating into the waters of the ocean. "I try to pull myself out, but I can't."

She showed Alex her predicament, the expansive ocean she could not hoist herself out of, before allowing a wave to wash over her head and push her under. The current brought her back to the blank room filled with webs of threads that separated her from Alex.

Slowly, her hair dripping water down her face, Kara bowed her head.

"I've tried but I can't."

"Kara. Don't give up on me!" Alex's voice held an edge of fear. "Kara!"

Kara blinked blearily at her.

"Listen to me, Kara. I know you're tired of fighting. You've fought far more than you ever should have. This universe has been cruel to you. But a future is waiting for you, just around the corner, a future filled with friends and family, food and games, and exploring this beautiful world. If you fight just a little bit longer, I _promise_ , I will help you find that future. Because it is worth it. _You_ are worth it." Alex shook her head, biting her lip. "You don't have to pull yourself out. Just take my hand."

Kara felt a tear roll down her own cheek as she watched her sister plead.

"You promise me that when I get out there, you will be alive?" Kara examined Alex carefully.

" _Yes._ Love, _I'm here._ Take my hand."

Kara closed her eyes for a moment.

Gathering all her remaining strength, Kara pulled herself forward, inch by inch, every movement forward becoming harder and harder. The ground began to shake, the walls of the room cracking and darkness seeping in. Instinctually, Kara knew that if she didn't make it to Alex now, she never would.

So she kept all her focus on her big sister, locked her blue eyes on her sister's brown ones, and moved forward.

"Come on. You've got it," Alex encouraged her, gaze flickering worriedly at the rapidly closing in darkness. "Come on!"

Kara had made it into the web, the threads parting as she approached.

She was so so tired.

Her hand stretched out only a foot or so from Alex's but Kara suddenly didn't know if she had the energy to close the gap.

"Kara. I'm right here. I'm alive. I'm not leaving without you." Alex did not flinch at the tendrils of black that were weaving their way into the web she remained trapped in. "I won't leave you."

With everything that she had left, Kara pushed herself forward, her hand finally meeting Alex's.

"Kara." Alex pulled her into a tight hug and suddenly _everything_ was worth it.

Clinging to Alex, Kara found herself rising out of the sea, water dripping down her form as she was pulled upward, higher and higher until the sea was just a glimmer and she had been found.

* * *

Alex's eyes flew open.

Next to her, J'onn clutched his head, deep exhaustion lining his face. Yet he raised his red eyes to meet hers, filled with hope.

They simultaneously turned to look across the room where a doctor was examining Kara's vitals.

"I'll be right back." J'onn squeezed Alex's hand before quickly striding to talk to the doctor. Alex just kept her eyes on Kara, even as her mom clutched her hand.

"Alex." J'onn came back. "Kara's brain levels spiked and are continuing to increase."

"Does that…"

Eliza squeezed her hand as a smile grew on J'onn's face.

"Alex, you did it. She's coming back to us."

* * *

 ** _Question of the day: digital reading or paper books?_**

 ** _Next up, focusing on recovery and all the many feelings that come with processing what happened._**

 ** _~silverlining_**


	27. Open Waters

_**Hello my beauties! Apologies for the late update; I used up my pre-written material at the same time a lot of school assignments hit. Thankfully, I should be back in a lull and able to get another chapter up relatively soon.**_

 ** _To everyone who said paper books except fanfiction online, I'm with you there._**

 _ **As a heads up, we are nearing the end! I believe it will be only a couple more chapters after this next one (hold the tears until the end, my friends). We shall see. With enough badgering, there is much I can be convinced of if time permits... (yes that is purposefully vague).**_

 _ **This chapter isn't my best writing but hopefully it will do!**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own Supergirl. Does anybody even read this disclaimer?**_

* * *

The world hummed around Kara, a cocoon of warmth surrounding her. She could feel a soft mattress beneath her, light sheets over her. There was no pain, no restraints…  
Was this real?

Kara tried not to move, tried to just stay in the moment as long as she could, in case it was going to fade the moment she engaged with it.

Finally, the need to know if she was truly safe overcame her desire to ignore the possibility that she might not be.

Turning her head slightly, Kara slowly opened her eyes.

She was in a room, softly lit and peaceful, a vase of bright yellow flowers sitting nearby on a table.

Turning the other way, an older woman was slumped over slightly in a chair by the bed.

"Eliza?" Kara blinked.

The woman started, sitting up straight and eyes widening.

"Kara!"

Kara suddenly found herself smothered by kisses and a long hug.

"I'm so glad you're awake. How are you feeling?" Eliza stroked her hair softly.

"Alex?" Kara was searching the room.

Eliza's light eyes crinkled slightly.

"She is going to be so upset she missed you waking up. The doctor made her stay in the observation room where they are keeping a close eye on her."

"Is she okay?" Kara bit her lip.

She wanted to see her sister.

 _"You promise me that when I get out there, you will be alive?"_

 _"Yes. Love, I'm here. Take my hand."_

A faint memory trickled into her mind and Kara clung to it for hope.

Eliza's expression became slightly more somber, she reached forward and took Kara's hand gently.  
"Oh honey, she's going to be okay, but she was hurt pretty badly. So were you."

Kara glanced down at her arms, expecting that they would be covered in the bruises.

They were unblemished.

"Your powers kicked in just about an hour ago, which is why we could move you out of the sunlamp station," Eliza explained.

Kara just stared.

Everything physical sign that something had happened to her was gone before she even had a chance to process what had occurred.

"I want to see Alex." Kara crossed her arms, suddenly desperately needing to be close to the agent.

"Let's call the doctor look you over first," Eliza suggested.

Kara shook her head adamantly. "I need to see Alex."

She was already pushing the sheets away, swinging bare feet toward the ground.  
"Whoa, whoa," Eliza caught her unsteady attempt at standing. "Kara, you've been through a lot, you need to take it slowly…"

"Eliza." Kara looked at her, the desperation that pressed against her chest bleeding into her voice, fear trickling from her words. " _I need to see Alex._ "

She stood, planting her two feet on the ground, refusing Eliza's help.

Step by step, they made their way into the adjacent room.

A hospital bed was near one of the walls, surrounded by machines.

Kara's breath caught in her chest.  
"Alex?"

She was running before she could even register her feet moving.

A foot or so away, Kara halted, her hands clenched into fists by her side.

Alex was hurt.

Really hurt.

Subconsciously, Kara had known this would be true; she had been with Alex in the lab, seen the terrible immediate aftermath of injuries and blood.

But now she was reminded all over again.

At the sound of her voice, Alex's head turned, her dark eyes widening.

"Kara."

Kara stood, frozen, examining the oxygen tube tucked under Alex's nose, the small bandage at her hairline, the fading bruises…

"You're hurt."

She had said it many times before but somehow it was the only thing Kara could find to say.

Alex just held her hand out.

"Come here."

Kara bit her lip, tears gathering.

" _You're hurt._ "

" _Come here._ " Alex's dark eyes were fixed on hers, soft and gentle.

The sudden desperate need for her sister resurfaced and Kara closed the distance, burying her face in Alex's uninjured shoulder.

Her whole body shook with sobs as Alex gently ran her fingers through her hair.

 _"I love you so much. So so much,"_ Alex whispered.

"I love you, Alex."

* * *

"It's not fair."

Alex glanced down at the small blond haired girl. Kara was leaning lightly against her as they sat in front of the window, basking in the sunlight. It had taken Alex all her considerable debate skills to convince the doctor to let her leave the bed. Her victory in the argument had left her feeling invigorated and hopeful that she could go home soon.

Kara had flat out refused to leave the DEO, making it very clear that she was not going to leave Alex. In a compromise, they had set up a bed for her in a spare examination room. But every morning when Alex woke up, she found Kara curled up on the chair next to her hospital bed.

They needed to get out of here.

They needed space away from ever-present doctors and random agents wandering in and out.

They needed to go home.

"What isn't fair?" Alex squeezed Kara's hand.

Sitting in the soft sunlight with Kara beside her, as simple as it seemed, suddenly felt like an overwhelming blessing.

Alex tried to push away the sudden images of Kara hooked to countless machines, heartless doctors bent over her, needles raised…

Those images portrayed a reality that no longer existed.

They were safe.

"It's not fair that I heal fast and you don't." Kara's eyes lifted to meet hers and Alex's heart ached at the amount of concern in those blue orbs.

The girl's face was awash with sunlight, her hair gleaming, and Alex suddenly had a flashback to when Kara had climbed out on the roof and tried to fly away.

Alex kissed the top of her golden head.

"I can't tell you how thankful I am that your healing came back. I might be progressing a little more slowly, but I'm getting there."

Kara snuggled closer.

"I wish it was me that couldn't heal and you that could."

Kara's voice was small, her words mournful.

"Kara." Alex's throat tightened. "I know you're scared and upset, but I'm okay. I promise. I am so happy you were able to heal." She paused. "Look at me."

Kara stared studiously out the window.  
"Kara." Alex gently cupped the younger girl's face, gently making her look at her. "I'm okay."

Kara's hand rose, fingertips brushing lightly against the butterfly stitch on Alex's cheek, blue eyes searching her face as if she hoped she would find the answers to all her questions there.

Alex felt the heaviness of uncertainty as well.

 _What was next? What would happen to them? How would they rebuild their already fragile life?_

Even heavier was the question she had received no clarity on: _was Kara okay?_

She had barely seen Kara smile since she had woken up, hadn't heard her laugh. She picked at her food and was noticeably thinner. Alex knew she wasn't sleeping well; the growing shadows beneath her eyes were a testament to the fact. Despite her considerable strength and resilience, Kara was a kid. The things she had gone through...

It was more than anyone could be expected to handle.

They really needed to get out of here.

"I have an idea." Alex found Kara's hand and squeezed it.

* * *

Squinting up at the sun, Kara raised a hand to shield her eyes before turning her gaze to the rolling ocean.

"Are you going to go in?"

Kara turned to find Alex watching her from a chair on the deck of the cottage they were staying at.

"No way!" Kara ran through the sand back to her sister. "I'll wait until you can come." She slid herself onto the wooden porch chair, glancing at Alex. The agent was wearing a sky blue shirt, her black jeans replaced by dark blue shorts.

"It might be a bit cold anyways," Eliza said, appearing with a glass of water, which she set beside her daughter. "How are you feeling?"

"Mom, I'm fine," Alex groaned.  
Kara took advantage of the distraction to quickly x-ray Alex's chest, checking her ribs and lung.

 _Healing._

She sighed slightly in relief, leaning back against the warm painted wood.

"Do you want some water, sweetheart?" Eliza turned to her.

"Sure," Kara nodded and Eliza kissed her sunkissed hair before disappearing back into the cottage.

"I know you just looked at my ribs and lung." Alex didn't even glance away from the view of rolling sandbanks and crashing water that she was taking in.

Kara bit her lip, watching a gull dip in the wind.

"I'm okay, Kara." Alex turned to face her and Kara felt like curling up at the amount of love in the brown eyes of the older woman.

"You died." Kara let the words slip and Alex's face morphed into an expression of surprise then frustration.

"Super-hearing?" she raised an eyebrow and Kara nodded sheepishly.

She had picked up that tidbit from an agent on the other side of the DEO building.

Alex sighed, lightly massaging her temples.

"I'm sorry," Kara pulled her knees up to her chin.

"It's not your fault," Alex shook her head. "None of this is your fault."

Kara looked away.

"If I hadn't…"

"Stop." Alex grabbed Kara's hand. "Come here."

"I might hurt…"

"Kara, come here."

Hesitantly, Kara let Alex pull her over, the two of them squeezing into the wooden deck chair. Immediately, Kara found Alex's hand, lightly touching each of her fingers, studying her fingertips.

"None of this is your fault." Alex used her free hand to brush back the stands of golden hair that had fallen into Kara's face. "I'm supposed to protect _you._ If anyone failed, it's me. And I am _so so_ sorry for that…"

Kara looked up to find a tear rolling down her sister's face.

"Don't cry." Kara buried her face into Alex's good shoulder. "Please Alex. _Please._ "

"I know you're worried about me, but I want you to have space to remember that you were hurt too. Maybe it's time to talk about what you experienced…"

Kara squeezed her eyes shut, shaking her head.

"No. I'm fine. You're the one who is hurt."

"Kara." Alex's hand stroked her hair. "We both know that isn't true; we were both hurt."

"But I'm fine." Kara wanted so badly to focus all her energy on her sister. If she could just help Alex, then maybe it meant she herself could be okay. And whatever Alex said, Kara knew what had happened was her own fault; Alex wasn't taken for any reason except Kara. And if Alex hadn't tried to protect Kara, she wouldn't have been so hurt.

Beside her, Alex sighed, resting her chin lightly on top of Kara's head.

"Do you…" Kara let the words slip before clamping her mouth shut.

"What is it, love?" Alex rubbed lazy circles against her back.

"Do you still want to adopt me?"

Kara cast the words out onto her ocean of uncertainty, not knowing where they would drift.

" _Yes._ " Alex's answer was immediate, without hesitation. "Nothing will change that."

Relief flooded Kara and she laid her cheek against the sun-warmed fabric of Alex's shoulder.

"Kara." Alex wasn't letting her get off that easy. "Can you tell me why you would think I wouldn't want you anymore? Can we talk about what happened..."

"Not now." Kara shook her head, tilting it back to look upward at the bright blue sky above them, the gulls crying in the wind. "Not yet."

"Kara…"

"No!" Kara suddenly was filled with an inexplicable panic. Driven by the feeling, she tried to wiggle away from Alex, her feet begging her to take to the shore and run.

"Okay. Not yet," Alex gave in, pulling her back. "Stay with me. Take a deep breath; you're okay. We won't talk about this now."

Slightly guilty for defying Alex yet also relieved, Kara settled back, taking comfort in the way the agent held onto her with all she had.

* * *

Early the next morning, before anyone else was up, Kara flew over the ocean to a sandbank far far from the shore. She sunk her hands into the golden sand that was still cool from the night, as images and memories overwhelmed her. In the face of the tide, she sobbed until she had no more tears left to give.

* * *

 _ **Question of the day: piercings, tattoos, both, or neither?**_

 _ **Bonus question: what is your dream tattoo if that is something you desire?**_

 _ **~silverlining**_


	28. Dusk Goes Down to Day

_**Hey all, this chapter is going to be short but sweet! It provides a segway in the next chapter.**_

 _ **As a warning, we are beginning to approach the end!**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own Supergirl. Does anybody actually read this line?**_

 _ **Let the feels begin.**_

* * *

Alex's eyes slowly opened, blinking back sleep to find an empty spot on the bed beside her.

"Kara?"

She straightened, ignoring the protest of pain her body gave.

Kara had been sneaking into her bed every night since they had arrived at the DEO safe house that doubled for a vacation home. Her need to be close wasn't something they outright talked about, but Alex felt a similar sense of comfort when Kara was near; sometimes she would momentarily panic over Kara's safety, even when she knew the Kryptonian was just out of sight.

Alex tried to calm her racing heart as she scanned the room.

Maybe Kara had slept in her own bed.

Alex doubted it but it seemed plausible enough to soothe her frantic mind, so she pulled herself to her feet and made her way to the room they had assigned to Kara.

The bed hadn't even been slept in.

"Kara?"

Alex couldn't stop the wave of panic that crashed over her.

"Kara!"

She painfully pulled her body around the cottage, searching for a blond head that was frighteningly absent.

"Alex?" Eliza appeared in the doorway of her own room, a light robe falling around her pajamas. "What's going on?" Her face creased with worry.

"I can't find Kara."

The words themselves seemed to drive a knife into her own heart as she said them and suddenly Alex felt her body being shaken painfully by a sob.

"Sit down." Eliza firmly guided her to a chair, her light eyes flitting around the room. "Take a deep breath, I'm sure she's near."

"What if they found her? What if they took her?" Alex tried to stand back up, her whole body tense with fear.

"Alex, you're still recovering, stay here. I'll look outside."

Alex noticed that her hands were shaking.

"Mom." Desperation laced the word as images of Kara in the lab flooded Alex. "We need to find her."

"I'm here."

Eliza and Alex startled, both looking up.

Kara stood hesitantly in the doorway, her bare feet wet and hair windswept around her face.

"Kara."

Alex practically flew across the room despite all her injuries, pulling the girl into her arms. As soon as her arms wrapped around Kara, the tears she had desperately been holding back escaped. She rocked back and forth slightly, body trembling.

"Do not scare me like that ever again," Alex choked out, smoothing Kara's hair, kissing her forehead. "Do you hear me?" She drew back slightly to look Kara in the eyes.

Kara nodded, her eyes red and swollen.

"Both of you, sit," Eliza corralled them onto the couch.

Obediently they sat, Kara curling up against Alex's side.

"I am going to go to the kitchen and cook pancakes. Until those are ready, neither of you is to leave this room, understood?" Eliza stood before them, hands on her hips. Her blue eyes shifted between Kara and Alex, fiercely protective.

Both Kara and Alex nodded, knowing they had no other option, and Eliza relaxed slightly.

"Good. I'm going to go start cooking." She strode briskly out of the room.

Alex shifted so she could see Kara, alarmed to find the girl had buried her face in her arms.

"Kara."

If possible, the Kryptonian curled further in on herself.

Alex bit her lip, slowly reaching out her hand to rest it on Kara's shoulder. The girl leaned into her touch.

"Love, where did you go?"

Kara raised her tear-streaked head.

"Out on the water. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."

"I know. Just tell me next time, okay?"

Kara nodded, sniffing.

Alex was wondering how to get Kara to tell her what was going on when the Kryptonian broke the silence.

"What if it's me?"

Her voice was small, broken.

"What?" Alex's brow furrowed.

"What if…" Kara was staring into space, as if seeing something Alex couldn't. "What if everything that has happened is because of me."

"Kara…" Alex shook her head. "I don't understand…"

"No matter where I am or what I do, people get hurt," Kara whispered. "First Kyrpton, then I brought Fort Rozz here, then the lab… I just keep thinking about all the things that have gone wrong and I don't know why." Kara bit her lip. "But I think… I think maybe it's me. Maybe there's something about me, whether I want it or not, that makes things fall apart…"

"Kara." Alex's heart clenched painfully in her chest as she absorbed Kara's words.

"I ruin everything."

"Kara, no. _It's not you_." Alex put her hands on the girl's shoulders, trying to get those sapphire orbs to see her.

Kara wasn't listening.

"Maybe… it would be better for everyone if I had never come to earth." She stared off in the distance, her face pale in the shallow morning light. Almost ethereal, for a split second Alex could actually _see_ that Kara was not from this planet. Instead, she was a girl of steel with a splintered soul.

"No Kara. Listen to me. _Listen."_

Slowly Kara's eyes found her and Alex knew the Kryptonian was listening with every fiber of her being.

" _It's not your fault. None of this is your fault_."

As if something inside her had broken, Kara let out a small cry, sobs overtaking her.

All Alex could do was gently rock the girl that the universe had failed and tell her that it wasn't her fault.

* * *

(line)

The golden sand warmed Kara's fingertips as she combed through it. Scooping up a handful of the tiny grains, she watched as they streamed down from between her fingers.

"Found a shell."

Kara turned to find Alex holding up a small white object.

The agent was sitting in the sand, an unreadable expression on her face. A soft breeze played with her auburn hair and rustled the tall grass near the cottage, where Eliza was reading.

"Here." Alex held the shell out and dropped it into the palm of Kara's hand. Curiously, Kara turned the shell over, feeling its smoothness and examining its curved form. "A little animal used to live in that," Alex explained.

Tilting her head, Kara tried to imagine what that would look like. It was nice that the animal would share its beautiful home with the world when it was done with it.

"Can I keep it?" she asked, glancing at Alex.

"Of course."

That morning, Kara had cried. A lot. While part of her felt like a rag that had been wrung out, the other part of her felt strangely full.

It was like Alex' s hugs, the soft sand, warm sun, and Eliza's pancakes were filling the gaps that had been chiseled into her by exploding planets and laboratory needles.

"What are you thinking?" Alex asked softly.

Kara gently ran her finger over the shell.

"I'm thinking…" Kara hesitated. "I'm thinking maybe things are going to be okay."

* * *

 _ **Like I said, short but sweet!**_

 ** _I'll try to get you all the next part relatively soon. Hopefully this chapter will tide you over until then._**

 ** _Question of the day: What do you like about fanfiction?_**

 ** _~silverlining_**


	29. Words Unsaid

_**Hello fanfiction family!**_

 _ **Sorry I am later than desired; I had to leave the country for a funeral. I also don't have the right convertor for my laptop charger so my laptop is actually about to die so hopefully this chapter makes it up...**_

 _ **Thank you for the lovely support and reviews. I definitely agree with you all; I also love fanfiction for the depth and new possibilities.**_

 _ **I hope you all enjoy this chapter!**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I don't own Supergirl, I just dabble.**_

* * *

"Hello?"

Kara took a deep breath, cradling the untraceable phone Alex had given her to her ear.

"Hi Winn." She bit her lip. "It's Kara."

"Oh my god, Kara!" Winn's familiar voice flooded over the phone. "Are you okay? Where have you been? What happened?" His words were frantic.

"I'm okay," Kara assured him. "I'm sorry I disappeared."

"I thought…" Winn's voice cracked. "I thought maybe something had happened to you, that maybe your old foster family had found you or…"

Even over the phone, Kara could tell that Winn was struggling not to cry. Touched, she hurried to try to comfort her friend.

"I'm alright, really. Alex last minute had to take me out of town and we didn't have signal."

"We've been so worried. Barbara has been going crazy."

Kara could imagine her friend pacing back and forth, blue eyes distressed.

"Can you tell them I'm okay?" she asked.

"I'll do it first thing after we're done talking," Winn promised. He paused. "Are you really okay?"

 _Was she?_

"Yeah. I am."

Surprisingly, Kara really meant it "How are you doing? How is school?" She quickly changed the topic.

"I'm alright, things have calmed down a lot. My dad's trial is coming up…" Winn trailed off. "The lunch table isn't the same without you."

"I miss you guys," Kara ran her finger over the wooden windowsill of the cottage.

"When are you coming back?" Winn asked eagerly.

Kara sighed softly. "I don't know yet."

 _I don't know if we are even coming back._

The question had been the center of quite a bit of debate, along with what to do with Astra, who was still in DEO custody.

As J'onn had said, it was all a grand mess.

"Well, I hope it's soon." Winn's voice was hopeful.

"Tell me what else I've missed at school," Kara perched on the windowsill.

"Well, lots of pointless homework, two fire drills… Oh! Lena got transferred to some fancy boarding school in Europe," Winn added.

"She did?" Kara rubbed her forehead, feeling a wave of mixed emotions.

When she had first met Lena, the name Luthor hadn't meant anything to her.

Now she knew exactly who Lena's mother was. She had nightmares about that woman almost every night.

Kara didn't know whether to be scared of Lena or feel sorry for her. Ultimately, it was the latter emotion that won out. It wasn't Lena's fault her mom did those things and Kara dreaded to think about what it would be like to have Lillian Luthor as a mother.

"Yeah, but she left me a letter for you, when you get back," Winn said. "With strict instructions to only let you read it."

"Really?" Kara's brow furrowed.

"Yeah. She hung out with us even when you were gone; you were right to bring her into our friend group. We never should have shunned her to begin with." Winn's voice was heavy with regret.

The line was silent for a moment.

"Where are you now?" Winn asked finally.

"With Alex." Kara didn't feel like reciting the rehearsed lie regarding her location.

"I'm really glad you're okay."

"Me too."

"Kara, dinner!" Eliza called from the other room.

"I have to," Kara said reluctantly. "I'll try to call later. Tell everyone I say hi, okay?"

"I will." Winn paused. "Kara, are you coming back?"

He had obviously read through everything she had said. Kara wasn't surprised; Winn was possibly the smartest person she knew.

"I don't know." Kara swallowed hard. "I hope so."

"I do too."

* * *

(line)

Alex walked down the hall of the DEO for the first time since she and Kara had been taken. The agents hurrying through the halls parted to make way for her; many briefly expressing their happiness that she was back on her feet.

Alex nodded at them, her mind only on her mission.

She was recovering well and J'onn had wanted her there for a simple alien transport, just as back up.

The request had struck Alex as extremely uncharacteristic of the paternalistic director. Although unsure about leaving Kara, Alex had given in to J'onn's persistence, wanting to prove that she was on her way back into the field. The transport wouldn't take long and it was a good starting point for easing Kara into the inevitable separation that would take place when Alex was fully able to work.

One thing Alex had not predicted though was how much she herself felt the distance from Kara. Consistently her mind would wander back to the Kryptonian; she found herself worrying about everything from whether Kara ate breakfast to being afraid the girl would be kidnapped again.

"Agent Danvers." J'onn greeted her as she stepped into the transportation facility. For a second she was confused to find him in his human form; the last couple times she had seen him at the cottage, he had green skin and red eyes.

"Director Henshaw," she nodded.

"Let's get going. You drive, I'll be security in the back," J'onn advised her, motioning to the armored van that sat ready to go. "Military has requested the subject be transferred to their jurisdiction."

Alex slowly approached the van before turning abruptly.

"You have a kryptonite gun." Her gaze fell on the weapon the man was armed with. She had almost missed the faint green glow.

J'onn just nodded.

Alex's eyes widened with realization.

"Astra." She stepped forward. "You're giving her to Lane?" Alex's breath caught in her chest; she had her issues with Kara's aunt but if she was Kara's family then that made her Alex's family also.

Besides, nobody deserved what she knew General Lane would do to the woman.

 _"Alex, just get into the van."_ J'onn's voice filled her head.

 _"They will torture her until she's half dead and then dissect what's left. You know that!"_ Alex pushed the thought right back at him.

 _"Trust me."_

They stared at each other silently for a moment.

Then Alex nodded briskly and climbed into the van, adjusting the seat to her height, turning the key in the ignition. Chest heavy with uncertainty, she guided the vehicle toward the route.

"This is the postman, bringing a package your way," she transmitted over the radio, following normal protocol.

"We are ready to receive said package; is any assistance needed in getting it up here?" a tinny voice answered back.

"The roads look fine and I have someone to help carry it," Alex responded.

"Copy that. We will await your arrival."

The radio went silent and Alex eased them onto the restricted back road they used to get to the base.

For a while, she went into autopilot, letting the scenery wash over her.

 _"How are we looking, Alex?"_ J'onn's voice pushed its way between her thoughts.

 _"Road is clear, weather is nice... It's a perfect day to drive my kid's aunt to a fate worse than death..."_ Alex grimaced.

 _"Alex, listen to me carefully; do everything exactly as you are supposed to."_

 _"What do you mean?"_

Suddenly there was a loud bang in the back.

"Henshaw?!" Alex flipped on the video feed to the back of the van. Only static filled the screen. "Shit." Alex brought the van to a screeching stop. _Do exactly what you are supposed to._

Mind racing, she reached for the radio.

"We are having difficulty with the package; contents might have shifted in transit. I'm going to take a look."

She jumped out of the car, leaving behind the frantic responses coming over the radio.

Before she could even make it around the back, Astra burst out, her eyes glowing.

For a moment the Krytonian just hovered in the air, dark curls falling limply around her face, her grey DEO jumpsuit sporting a blood splatter.

Alex raised her gun but did not fire.

The two women stared at each other, Astra's piercing pale eyes meeting Alex's gaze. Behind her, J'onn staggered out, blood running from a gash on his head.

"It's okay, Danvers, I instructed her to do it," J'onn told her quickly. The Martian glanced at Astra, nodding firmly.

Astra turned away from Alex and used her laser vision to destroy the wheels of the van and incinerate all the communication devices. Seemingly satisfied with the smoldering vehicle, she landed on the ground, her dark shadowed eyes once again finding Alex.

"Kara?"

"She's recovering," Alex holstered her gun, understanding rushing through her.

 _They were freeing Astra._

"Thank Rao." Astra closed her eyes briefly. When she opened them again, her gaze was filled with pain. "They found her because of me. They learned from one of my soldiers they captured that I was looking for them so they leaked information on their location. When I came, they used my actions to hail the DEO under the pretense of being innocent victims then followed the agents back to the center. They knew that Lane would make you bring Kara in if there was a Kryptonian attack." Astra shook her head. "I never…" A tear slipped down the general's face, agony clear in her expression.

Alex stood silently in the knowledge, the world rocking slightly beneath her feet.

 _If she hadn't told Astra about Cadmus…_

"What's done is done," J'onn spoke up, voice firm. "On all sides. There was no way to know that any of what was done and said would lead to what happened. All we can do now is move forward in keeping Kara safe and loved." He turned to Astra, face serious. "You need to stop what you've started; surely now you can see how violence only leads to violence."

Astra set her jaw. "I can try," she said quietly. "But I am afraid what I have created now takes a life of its own and will not be easily stopped. However, even if it leads to my death, then so be it; I will do all I can." Her eyes shone with a fierce conviction.

"We will smooth things out with the general," J'onn promised. "But if we receive word that people are being killed under your command…" he let the unsaid statement hang in the air.

"Understood." Astra nodded briskly. "I hear the helicopters coming; I must leave."

Alex couldn't see a thing in the sky but she knew Astra's hearing range outstripped her vision.

Astra paused, turning to Alex. "Alexandra Danvers, you are a remarkable human. I thank you for your care of my niece in my inability to do so."

Alex dipped her head. "I'm going to adopt her."

Astra froze for a second before giving a small sad smile. "I give my blessings." She turned to leave before apparently changing her mind and facing Alex again. "You are the person who changed my mind on humanity; it is because of you I will try to halt our project. If there is a human like you, there must be others and I cannot justify their deaths."

Alex was speechless. "I…" she trailed off, not finding any words.

"I am ready." Astra lifted off the ground, hovering a couple feet in the air. "Shoot me, Alexandra Danvers."

"What?" Alex's brow furrowed with confusion.

"Do it, I am ready."

J'onn nodded at Alex. "We need it to look realistic."

Pulling out her gun, Alex aimed.

The Kryptonian tensed.

A gunshot went off.

Astra wavered in the air, her face gritted in pain as blood began to stream down from the hole in her shoulder.

"Will you be able to fly?" J'onn watched the blood drip to the ground.

"I do not have to go far; Non is near," Astra opened her eyes.

"May the sun ever be strong," Alex said the Kryptonian farewell Kara had taught her.

Astra paused and looked at Alex.

"Thank you."  
Then the general unsteadily made her way across the sky, leaving a trail of blood in her wake.

* * *

(line)

 _ **I hope you enjoyed it and that everyone was decently in character!**_

 _ **We are nearing the end but there's a bit still to go :)**_

 _ **Question of the day: Jelly beans or M &Ms?**_

 _ **~silverlining**_


	30. The Ones We Love

_**Hello my beloved reviewers & readers, followers & favoriters. **_

_**We have come to the end of this story.**_

 _ **I did not intend for this, but this is as of right now the last chapter. I could have gone longer but I felt that things were just getting** **unnecessarily** **drawn out and it would be better to end on a future-oriented note.**_

 _ **Thank you so much for the privilege of writing this story for you. I have greatly enjoyed and cherished all your feedback as well as the responses to the question of the day - seeing what you all had to say was always a highlight. THANK YOU SO MUCH! This story is one of the most highly reviewed ones in the Supergirl fanfiction archive and has one of the highest (if not the highest!) ratios of reviews to chapters. This isn't a reflection of me - it's a reflection of your faithfulness and amazing engagement! You all are my inspiration.**_

 _ **As for what you really want to know... let's talk about the future of this story arch!**_

 _ **So as you will probably pick up from the ending that there is potential for continuation. Whether or not this will happen is largely dependent on my personal capacity and motivation to do so! I'm not saying that it's** **contingent** **on you all motivating but I will say letting me know if you want a sequel can't hurt...**_

 ** _Alright. Without further ado..._**

 ** _Here is the final disclaimer: I do not own Supergirl._**

* * *

Alex hugged Kara close, burying her face in the girl's blond hair.

"How are you feeling?"

The question could be directed to either of them but this time it was aimed at Kara.

"Excited," Kara snuggled closer. "And happy."

"Me too," Alex smiled. "Oh look there's J'onn."

Dressed in a suit and a human form, J'onn walked up to them, his face stretching in a smile.

"Congratulations," he beamed, offering a small carefully wrapped box to the girl.

"It's not official yet," Kara accepted the box shyly.

"It will be in an hour. Go on, open it," J'onn encouraged her.

Kara glanced at Alex who nodded approvingly, then pulled off the gift-wrap and opened the little black velvet case.

Her blue eyes widened and simultaneously filled with tears as she carefully lifted out a small object, dropping the jewelry box in her focus on the piece of metal.

Concerned, Alex leaned over to see what it was that had caused Kara to begin crying,

Cradled in Kara's hands was a small pendant on a silver chain; its elegant silver curves accenting the beautiful stone it cradled.

"Where…" Kara turned her large watering eyes on J'onn.

"We reclaimed it," J'onn answered Kara's question simply. "I only just barely got it out of evidence in time for today." He met Alex's questioning gaze before glancing back at Kara who had closed her eyes and pressed the pendant against her heart.

"Kara came to earth with this necklace," J'onn explained softly.

Alex's eyes widened.

"I hope it was appropriate…" J'onn trailed off worriedly, watching a tear make its way down Kara's face. "Kara…" he knelt before her.

"Thank you, J'onn." Kara launched herself at the Martian. "Thank you, thank you, thank you."

Finally, turning away, Kara held out the necklace to Alex.

"Can you put it on me?" the Kryptonian stretched out her palm, delicate pendant resting on impenetrable skin. "I want to wear it."

Gently, Alex draped the necklace around Kara's neck, slowly fastening the clasp.

As soon as it was secure, Kara wrapped her hand around the pendant. She continued to cling to it as they met Eliza in the courtroom, as a small number of family and friends congregated and a stern judge proclaimed happy words with a large smile.

"Kara, you are legally under the permanent guardianship of Alexandra Danvers. Welcome to the family and congratulations."

As the room burst into excitement around her, Kara lifted the pendant to her lips and kissed it before letting her fingers loosen from around it in order to jump into Alex's arms.

* * *

(line)

"Do you…" Kara's voice was sleepy, her question trailing off without a clear direction.

Alex was lounging on the couch, Kara leaning heavily against her as they watched the end credits of some random movie that Alex had already forgotten the plot to.

Her mind was in a different place, sifting through the journey that had begun with a phone call that one Thanksgiving dinner. Here, she sensed, was a turning point.

They had been to hell and back again and found something beautiful in the process.

 _Family_.

"Do I…?" Alex prompted Kara who had fallen silent.

Her hand found the girl's silky hair, stroking it gently.

How did she ever get so lucky as to be this amazing girl's guardian?

"Do you ever wonder what would have happened if things were different?"

"What do you mean?" Alex asked.

Kara shifted slightly so she could look directly at Alex. Her eyes were like the sky on a clear day, a deep blue that stood guard before the unfathomable depths of the galaxy.

"Like… what if I had come later. Or earlier. Or not at all." Kara's brow furrowed slightly as she considered her own words. "I wonder what our lives would be like."

Alex examined Kara's face, only suddenly realizing that the girl had already grown older since she had first met her. She was just a bit taller, her face slightly less round. Alex had always rolled her eyes in the past when her mother talked wistfully about how fast kids grow up but now her words had a whole new meaning.

"I guess I think about it sometimes," Alex said slowly, realizing that Kara was waiting for a response. "But then I think there are so many important things happening right now that I want to make sure I don't miss a bit of it." Alex smiled, brushing a strand of hair out of Kara's face. "No matter what could have happened, this is what did and I want to be right here living this life with you."

Kara caught her hand, holding it tight.

"Me too."

Pulling her little sister closer, Alex knew one thing for sure.

Nothing would ever separate them.

* * *

 _Dear Kara._

 _First of all, I want to say that I'm sorry._

 _I know who you are._

 _And I know who my mother is._

 _The night before you befriended me at school, I got into my mom's computer while she left the room for a phone call. She would never ever consider me bold enough to touch her laptop. I did though; I just wanted to find Lex's address so I could write him in jail but an address was not what I found._

 _While I was on the computer, an email with your name in it popped up. I was so curious I couldn't resist clicking on it. When I opened it, I could not believe what I was seeing._

 _I had no idea what to do with the information I saw there._

 _The next day at school, you talked to me and brought me to your lunch table. I didn't know what to do. I thought about telling you but couldn't figure out how or where the conversation would even go. And this sounds horrible, but you were the first person to be nice to me and I didn't want to ruin that._

 _I do not regret anything as much as I regret not warning you right away._

 _When I came to school the next day, having worked up the courage to tell to you what I had found, it was too late. You were gone._

 _Your friends agonized over your disappearance. They were worried that an old foster family had found you. I knew it was my mother._

 _But I still had no idea who to tell._

 _Finally I sent an anonymous tip out to other organization that had been mentioned in that email, hoping they were on your side. Winn helped me set up an untraceable account to do so, but I didn't tell him anything that was going on, just that I needed to send a message that couldn't be traced back to me._

 _I think he helped me because you helped me._

 _I wrote out everything I knew about my mom's work in the hopes it could help the DEO save you. Later, I received an email from an undisclosed sender that said you had been found. That same day I also found out that my mother had been arrested and I was going to be transferred to a private boarding school in England._

 _I don't expect we'll ever meet again and perhaps, with all my family has put yours through, that is for the best. I do not blame you in any way for the arrest of my mother; she deserved what happened. In her quest to protect humanity, she lost her own. I have witnessed that firsthand._

 _I have not told anybody your secret and I never will. Consider it a meager token of apology and goodwill._

 _Although we only got to be friends one day, I will never forget your kindness._

 _Best,_

 _Lena Luthor._

Slowly, Kara put the letter down, staring at it as she tried to make sense of what it had contained.

Lena Luthor knew who she was.

Kara didn't doubt that Lena would keep her secret.

The realization surprisingly sent a burst of excitement through her rather than fear.

One of her human friends had found out who she was and had used that information to _help_ her. On a planet where it seemed the only option was to hide who she was, that fact made Kara feel that maybe there was some hope for her future. Perhaps she would not be keeping her Kryptonian heritage at bay her life, maybe, someday, people could _know._

And maybe that meant that Kara could help.

In the time following her recovery, Kara had been thinking a lot about what it meant that she had these abilities on earth.

Her mother had sent her to this earth to protect Kal-El but when she had arrived, Kal-El was protecting the earth.

She could do that too.

Kara touched her necklace, stroking the stone gently as she thought.

She could protect the earth. Not the same way as her cousin, not right now anyways. She was still a kid and Kara wanted to be one as long as possible. She wanted to spend her weekends with her friends and watch movies with Alex while eating take-out.

But Kara also knew she wasn't an ordinary kid; she had seen things, been through things, that hopefully most kids didn't. And she had these abilities. She had even used them to save lives before in the school bombing.

There had to be some small way to help, just like so many people had helped her.

Images filled Kara's mind: Alex's loving smile, Winn's twinkling eyes, Eliza's mischievous wink…

Her family and friend's safety was her first priority, always. But there were other good people like them out there who could use help.

Tucking the letter away in her drawer, Kara decided not to make a move yet.  
But she would be paying attention. She would be looking out for the moment someone needed her, just as she needed the people in her own life.

Kara turned to look out the window, out at the streets before her, taking it all in as she listened and sorted through the jumble of sounds. What had once been a jarring cacophony of sounds surrounded her like a soothing symphony.

This was her home now.

And when the right time came, Kara would be ready to protect it and the ones she loved.

...

..

.

* * *

 _ **Thank you all.**_

 _ **This brings In the Darkness I Will Guide You to a close.**_

 _ **Question of the Day: what was your favorite part of this story? Bonus question: would you like to see a sequel? (see author's note above)**_

 _ **This story is thanks to all of you. In your own way, you are all authors in this creative work; take pride in that.**_

 _ **Until next time, whenever that might be,**_

 _ **~silverlining**_


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